Transcripts For MSNBCW The 11th Hour With Brian Williams 20201003

The helicopter poised on the south lawn. The wait for trump, who finally came out under his own power. He recorded an 18second video prior to departure and promptly posted it on social media. I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support. Im going to walter reed hospital. I think im doing very well, but were going to make sure that things work out. The first lady is doing very well. So thank you very much. I appreciate it. I will never forget it. Thank you. Late this afternoon, the white house physician released what we have to emphasize is woefully incomplete information about the president s treatment and condition, saying in a statement that he received a, quote, single eightgram dose of regenerons polyclonal antibody cocktail as well as zinc, vitamin d, famotidine, melatonin and aspirin. White house says there wont be a transfer of power to mike pence, who thankfully has tested negative. Earlier today, Administration Officials sought to portray mr. Trumps symptoms as less than serious. He continues to be not only in good spirits but very energetic. Weve talked a number of times this morning. He is certainly wanting to make sure that we stay engaged. Hes hard at work despite the mild symptoms. The president will abide by whatever guidelines the doctors tell him. I am told he has a rather light case right now. And now the president s in the hospital. Tonight the New York Times reports that people close to trump say that hes had, quote, a fever, congestion, and a cough. However, we should point out other media reports tonight are more alarming. They speak of more rapidly deteriorating condition. We learned about trumps diagnosis after it was revealed that one of his closest aides, hope hicks, had indeed tested positive for coronavirus. She traveled notably with trump to the debate in cleveland on tuesday, then to his rally in duluth, minnesota, on wednesday. White house officials learned about her diagnosis, they say, thursday morning. But later that day, trump still went on to a fundraiser in new jersey, a move that has triggered questions about his decision to expose himself to others. In terms of hope, hope hicks, we discovered that right as the marine one was taking off yesterday. We actually pulled some of the people that had been traveling and in close contact. The reason why it was reported out just frankly is that we had already started the Contact Tracing just prior to that event. As you know, last night, even in the early hours of this morning, the minute we got a confirmatory test on the president , we felt like it was important to get the news out there at that time. There are also questions being raised about whether trump was infected while he was at this weeks debate. So far joe biden says hes tested negative. And this comes as there is new scrutiny of that white house rose garden event to introduce Trumps Supreme Court nominee, federal judge amy coney barrett. Aside from the president and first lady, republican senators mike lee and thom tillis as well as the president of notre dame university, father john jenkins, have all tested positive. Tonight former trump senior counselor Kellyanne Conway said shes also tested positive. She adds she has a mild cough and has started the quarantine process. Weve also learned the White House Correspondents Association says three journalists, including one who was at that saturday outdoor event for judge barrett there was also an interior reception these three journalists have all tested positive. The trump president ial campaign is clearly on hold. The Biden Campaign has, out of courtesy, suspended all negative ads about the president. Earlier today, biden offered these thoughts during a Campaign Stop in michigan. My wife jill and i pray that theyll make a quick and full recovery. This is not a matter of politics. Its a bracing reminder to all of us that we have to take this virus seriously. Here for our leadoff discussion on this friday night, robert costa, National Political reporter with the Washington Post, also happens to be moderator of Washington Week on pbs. Jonathan karl, chief White House Correspondent over at abc 7 news. We get to talk to him periodically. In his capacity as an author, he has written the recent book front row at the trump show. Annie karni, White House Reporter for the New York Times. And dr. Vin gupta who was with us for hours last night and on into today. Hes an e. R. Doc specializing in these kinds of illnesses, also an affiliate assistant professor with the university of Washington Department of Health Metrics sciences. And, doc, im going to press you into service at the top of this hour as well. Im going to ask you to speculate. Its actually a necessity because we dont have any firm information. Im going to predict that were this any other president , we might know pulse, respirations, what temperature the president presented with upon checkin to the hospital, things like oxygenation, all of the things any good volunteer First Aid Squad would ascertain about a patient in the first three minutes. Absent any of that, going only on what little bit weve been told by the white house physician, what do you think is happening tonight in the president ial treatment suite at walter reed . Good evening, brian. Great to be here. You know, theres what we see, which is a president on that short video, that suggested he was actually he looked pretty good. He was able im saying this as a lung doctor. He spoke in full sentences. He didnt seem like he was experiencing labored breathing. He wasnt gasping for breath or coughing. He had good color to his skin. So im encouraged by that. We all want the president to do well and to pull through. So hopefully this move to walter reed is just a precautionary measure. Whats a little puzzling, and, you know, ive gotten some pushback on this from supporters of the president , which is this notion of why is he getting the antibody cocktail from regeneron . We all want him to get the top of the line treatment, but lets be clear here. Whatever he deserves, he should get. Whatever is evidencebased, she get. But why are they giving him he is the first person outside of a study protocol, a study protocol from regeneron that only has less than 300 patients enrolled, to receive this experimental drug . Why are they doing that . If they just gave us more information about his lab values, other data brian, you mentioned vital signs it would help us understand, wow, is this that serious that he needs this type of treatment, or is it because hes asymptomatic and thats in line with the study trial that regeneron put together, and this is just part and parcel of what they would normally do . This is an exception. Its quite the aggressive move. We deserve details because hes our president , and it would be helpful, and it would be helpful for folks like myself and my colleagues to interpret whats happening for all of you and the rest of the American People so that we can understand how hes doing. Youre absolutely right. And to that end, annie karni, the reporting tonight has candidly been all over the map. Thats what happens in the absence of anything from the actual White House Physicians Office. Thats what happens when white house aides whisper what they think to reporters. Its also what happens when not everything that has come out of this White House Physicians Office these past four years has been true, to put it bluntly. So what reporting can you add to what were already talking about . I would just say that there has been a lot of mistruths and problems with believing what this white house tells us in general. The white house medical unit, the physician, both this physician, dr. Conley, and his predecessor, dr. Ronny jackson, have been probably the worst in terms of the information they give us being complete and being believable. And its kind of coming to a head right now. For instance, there was the mystery visit to Walter Reed Medical Center last year where they never told us why the president went. They claimed it was to begin work on his physical, which he never finished. Questions remain about what that was really about, and at a time like this is when you want to get a memorandum from the president s physician and have some track record of trust that you believe that what youre reading is a full accounting of what is happening. This dr. Conley, he put out a statement earlier this year when the president tried hydroxychloroquine, and it was very strangely worded. It left a lot of questions. It wasnt clear if he had prescribed it to the president or if the president was just taking it. We cant really trust what this white house physician is telling us. Im going to go with what my paper is reporting, which is fever, cough, symptomatic. My interpretation of him going to walter reed is that this is likely a move the president would have resisted because it does raise questions. Why does he have to be hospitalized for multiple days . I imagine that leaving the white house and appearing to at least raise questions that this is more serious than a mild case is something he would not have chosen to do. So to me, thats where we are. We dont know more right now. Jonathan karl, this is an incredible moment. The head of our government, the head of the u. S. Armed forces domestically and overseas is in the hospital and, in plain english, we dont know a damn thing. Fill us in on your reporting. Specifically youve been talking about the travels and illness of hope hicks and late details tonight on your fellow members of the White House Press corps. Three reporters tested positive, as you mentioned, one that was right there in the rose garden. Im also told that in addition, there is one junior staffer. So by my count, were now up to eight people who were at that rose garden event who have tested positive. And the amount of information is is shockingly little. We dont know why the president went to walter reed. The only thing that we have from the white house we dont even have a small statement, a short statement from the doctor about this. His statements there was one accompanying the positive test overnight, and there was an additional statement earlier today before he went to walter reed. All we have are the words of the press secretary, Kayleigh Mcenany. Her statement says that the president was being moved to walter reed out of an abundance of caution. I dont know what the medical meaning of that is, out of an abundance of caution, that he would be working out of the president ial offices at walter reed. Now, of course, walter reed does have a suite set aside for the president. Theres some office space there he can work out of but president s dont generally go there to work for a few days out of the offices. But we have nothing, nothing from the doctor other than that statement earlier today. In fact, you know, i think you raise a good point that when you dont have the information from the official sources, you Start Talking to aides. And Kayleigh Mcenany did an interview on fox today where she talked about what the president had told her when they talked last night. So at that point in the middle of the day, she hadnt even talked to the president today. I dont know if theyve had a subsequent conversation. I have no idea. If she came out and said they did, i dont know how much we would have to believe given the amount of frankly disinformation that we have seen come out of the white house, not just about matters of the president s health but about a whole range of other issues. So, robert costa, as jon points out correctly, abundance of caution, no. The president needed to be in the hospital. Thats the reason he went to the hospital. Hes going to be there and work there for a few days. We have no idea. Theres no playbook that comes with this virus. This virus gets to make the decisions. What has further been your reporting on this extraordinary moment at the top of our government . Brian, reporters are not the only people tonight who are navigating in the dark. So are many personnel inside the west wing. Theres a lot of concern, and we have a big story up on the Washington Post website about this, about this amy coney barrett, judge barrett, her nomination announcement last saturday, and was this a superspreader event . And so many aides and allies of the president who were there are now talking to each other tonight, getting tested, trying to figure out if others are infected inside of this administration. And the key thing that im paying attention to based on my conversations within the last hour is that there are new concerns about whether the government will be able to continue as is if all of these people inside of the west wing are contracting coronavirus. Now, its more of an outlook at this point, and Vice President pence has tested negative. But theres real concern about the extent to which the spread has taken place inside the white house, and there is just not any certainty at this moment about how widespread it is. To our viewers, obviously 11 00 p. M. Hour eastern time on a friday night heading into a weekend when theres news you dont want to receive wide circulation is a natural fit for a press release from the White House Physicians Office on the president s condition. And obviously goes without saying, should such a thing come out while were on the air tonight, well stop what were doing and what were talking about to bring it to you. All of these guests have agreed to stay with us. Were just going to fit in a commercial break. Coming up, what does this gigantic object surprise mean for the remaining debates . Are they just out of the question . What about the vp debate in just five days . And later, the wait for real information in this era of disinformation. And that, of course, is the problem. Michael moore will be with us later to talk about where we are exactly on this strange october night in the year 2020 as the 11th hour is just getting under way this friday evening. Can go its time you make the rules. So join the two Million People whove switched to xfinity mobile. You can choose from the latest phones or bring your own devic, and choose the amount of data thats right for you to save even more. And youll get 5g at no extra cost all on the most reliable network. So choose a data option thats right for you. Get 5g included. And save up to 400 yr on the network rated 1 in customer satisfaction. Its your wireless. Your rules. Only with xfinity mobile. If he can get it, probably anyone can, you know, for better or worse. But, you know, i know they took really extensive protocols, and it didnt seem to matter, so im not sure where that would have come from or who. But, you know, the reality is this is something that, you know, can spread. Back with us, robert costa, jonathan karl, annie karni, dr. Vin gupta. Weve been talking about the lack of an update, the lack of facts coming out of the White House Medical Office about the president s condition. We do have an update. Its from a congressman from california, but its something, something new tonight. Kevin mccarthy, ranking republican in the house, i just got off the phone with President Trump. He was upbeat and told me that he appreciates all the prayers and support from everyone. Our president is strong and will beat the virus. So, jonathan karl, there you go. We got that going for us. Weve got that going to for you know, this is where you really see what happens after an extended period of time with this president , with this white house, 3 1 2 years worth of unreliable information, sometimes outright disinformation coming out. The white house podium used as a place to make political points. Kayleigh mcenany does basically a cable show coming from a different perspective during her briefings, and no reliable information. And the bottom line is Kevin Mccarthy probably knows more about the president s condition than his own press secretary. So that may be the most reliable information that you can get at this moment. Dr. Gupta, since weve already got a member of the Abc News Team on this broadcast, ill go ahead and quote jim acosta, the cnn White House Correspondent, who gave a fairly serious update earlier tonight based on his sourcing at the white house, that the president was quite spooked at how quickly this came upon him, at how symptomatic he got how quickly, and that the west wing was indeed spooked to see that. Doctor, if we were doing a kind of pbs frontline documentary showing inside the human body, regardless of his current condition, what is happening inside the president s lungs . Whats our understanding about what this virus does . How does it attack, and how is it that some people end up fine . They may lose their sense of smell or taste. Other people become critical, some of them right away. Well, brian, ill first say that we still dont truly understand the mechanism of covid19 in the human body. What we do know and particularly at the president s age of 74 with some comorbidities that weve talked about, we do know that hes more vulnerable than, say, a 20yearold without any comorbidities. So that that time from exposure to successful infection to onset of symptoms is going to be probably more narrow. So what we do know is covid19 causes an enormous inflammatory response in the lungs and in the kidneys. It just causes a lot of inflammation. Its like osteoarthritis, a terrible analogy, but arthritis of the joints but for the lungs if that makes sense. Thats why things like steroids are helpful. Thats why potentially this antibody treatment from regeneron or convalescent plasma can be helpful because they interfere with that inflammatory cascade is what we call it on the medical side. It interrupts it so you get less of that inflammation in the body. But thats likely whats happening, and hopefully the president stays well. Annie karni, this takes away, lays waste to most of the central argument of the president s stump speech these days, how well were doing, how booming the third and Fourth Quarter are going to be, how great next year is going to be, how he personally reopened the big ten football season, how schools and cities should reopen. All of that along with the trump president ial campaign is presumably on hold tonight, annie. Its on hold for today, and theyre going to be making decisions on a casebycase basis on how they go forward with the campaign events. I would say two things to what you just said. If the president makes a speedy recovery and it turns out he had mild symptoms for two weeks, hes back, hes healthy, he could turn it into a pitch, saying, why not reopen . Im 74. I have comorbidities. I got it. I got better. We can reopen and live with this thing. So that could be one outcome. But certainly right now, its not its a case where they have been out there talking about how joe biden is in a bunker. Biden has been doing more campaigning now. Its the president who is literally grounded. The tables have turned in terms of these campaigns, and right now the Trump Campaign certainly cant do what they have loved to do, which is hold big, large rallies and events and let the president get out there and energize his supporters. Robert costa, let talk briefly about the pending matter of a nominee for the supreme court. We have two members of the Senate Judiciary committee, tillis and lee, out having tested positive for covid19. Both of them attended the ceremony at the white house. There was an indoor reception and an outdoor press conference. I believe the math is republicans enjoyed a 1210 majority. Theres senator lee hugging people without masks. Republicans enjoy a 1210 majority on that committee. You got to be present to vote. So as of tonight, were looking at a 1010 committee . Its a serious issue for Senate Republicans. I reported earlier today about my conversation with a very well placed Senate Republican aide, who said some top Senate Republican lawmakers are already talking to leader mcconnell about making sure the senates off next week, having it recessed, because they need to make sure that they have enough votes to have a Senate Judiciary Committee Vote in midoctober to have the hearings in midoctober on the judiciary committee. Leader mcconnell has not signed on to that idea. Hes going full steam ahead at this point. This is a critical moment for Senate Republicans, who want to rush this nomination through. They dont know if they are actually going to have to the votes present. They think they have the votes politically speaking but not actually sure if theyre going to have the votes on the senate floor. This is not like the house of representatives where you can vote remotely. The senates a place where you still have to be there in person. So for those just joining us, everything, including but not limited to the president s health, is up in the air at 11 26 eastern time on a friday night. A big thanks to our front four, especially for staying late. Robert costa, jonathan karl, annie karni, dr. Vin gupta. A break for us, and coming up, Michael Moore on tonights serious developments and what all of this means, lets not forget, to that president ial race and the ballots that will be cast, among those that havent already been cast, 32 days from today. The unfair money bail system. He, accused of rape. While he, accused of stealing 5. The stanford rapist could afford bail; got out the same day. The Senior Citizen could not; forced to wait in jail nearly a year. Voting yes on prop 25 ends this failed system, replacing it with one based on public safety. Because the size of your wallet shouldnt determine whether or not youre in jail. Vote yes on prop 25 to end money bail. Maybe some of his supporters will change their mind now that even with being tested every day and the amount of security around him, anybody can get it. Hes a healthy man, i mean, him and his wife. I think theyll get through this based on the percentage of people that get it are or, excuse me, show symptoms is so so small of a percentage. I think hell pull through it, and i dont think its going to affect the campaign. I thought it was pretty ironic because he was denying it the whole time, and then the fact that he was positive now, it must be real to him and more people hopefully. Theyll start taking it more seriously. Just a safety tip here. Ideally the mask should cover both the nose and the mouth. I also want to show you the entrance to walter reed tonight. We have a live picture. Like maskwearing, the entrance to walter reed has quickly become politicized tonight. Folks who realized this was a live picture on most of the Cable Networks quickly rushed down there, a lot of them with protrump signs. Most of them we note thankfully wearing masks. Much of the world woke up today to the news that our president and first lady had indeed tested positive for the virus. Much of the world still processing the potential implications. Were pleased to welcome back tonight a proud michigander, moviemaker, and muckraker. He also happens to be host of the podcast rumble with Michael Moore. Michael moore back with us tonight. Michael, two points to be made here. I know youre only here because bill maher is in reruns tonight, number one. Number two, i also know you to be a patriot who joins us in wishing the president well because we only get one president at a time. Having established that, lets talk about pure politics, your stock in trade by day. What just happened to this race . How is this race different as we talk tonight than it was at this time last night, say . Well, i think its been pretty bad for donald trump for the last couple of weeks, going back to the story in the atlantic where hes quoted calling our soldiers suckers and losers, and then following through up the story about his taxes and how he only paid 750 in 2016 and 2017 and not much before that. So i think it was already going pretty bad. And then the debate happened, and, you know, people dont like bullies. They dont like that kind of behavior, and i think that i dont i mean i dont think he convinced anybody one way or the other, but he may have depressed his own vote. People, i dont think, were as excited after that debate going out there, and lets get 20 people to come vote for trump. So i think that probably hurt him on that level. But i think that thats its not just what has happened in the last 24 hours. I mean the fact that he everybody understands the irony of the last 24 hours of how we went through seven months of being told by our leader that masks werent important, social distancing was, you know, for children, and this is just really kind of a hoax from china. And it turned out for him that thats not the case. So nobody likes to see anybody be harmed, even if its by or from as a result of their own their own doing. So i think that, you know, i want trump to get better because i want to beat him on november 3rd. Thats the way to do it. Him being in the hospital, him getting worse, the thing is were not really being told exactly anything. I know you and the others tonight have made this point over and over that its so unusual to not at least by now have a doctor stand in front of a microphone and tell us whats going on. The whole sense of they were just he was just having mild symptoms, and all of a sudden hes being medevaced in a helicopter to walter reed. So its more of the same of the American Public not knowing what to believe, who to trust, lack of transparency. But good but good on him that hes getting some taxpayerfunded medicine tonight, some health care there at walter reed. The thing with online today, boy, theres a lot of whew. You dont spend much time there, do you, brian, on social media . No, i dont. Good. Stay that way. People theres nothing to be happy about here. If youre against trump, you want him to get well. Its theres something in us that if we become the thing that we dont like, the thing that we cant stand or hate, then weve lost. Weve lost our own soul in that sense. So, you know, and its kind of like a lot of americans, especially people that dont have much, people that have died during this pandemic, its one punch in the face after another from President Trump. A punch in the face, a punch in the face, a punch in the face. Then finally at the last punch in the face, he trips and falls and knocks his head on the ground and has a concussion. Now, what do you do in that moment . The way i was raised is no matter that hed just hit you 15 times in the face, i have a responsibility to help him as a human being. I have to call 911, and when they get there, i have to help get him in that ambulance. I might say to the emt, you know, you might want to handcuff him because he has a tendency to want to punch people in the face, but go get him to the hospital and get him some help. So i think most people like where im from in the midwest, they care about other people, but they care about the 850 who died yesterday from this virus, the 50,000 in the last 24 hours that came down with this virus, that didnt have to come down with it, that didnt have to die. 30,000 hospitalized. None of this had to happen. It didnt have to go on this long. And because of the decisions that hes made, the hurt and the suffering that hes caused, me, personally, more than anything i would want him to not suffer because i dont want him to go through what hes done to everybody else. I dont know if thats a good position to have or not. Its not a political Michael Moore, thats why we wanted to have you on. We wanted to hear you out. And thank you for having us into your home tonight to do that. I interrupt only because we have two forms of an update. No, no. One, not from a doctor or a white house spokesperson, but from the president. Something of a twitter haiku. He writes about six minutes ago, going well, i think. Thank you to all. Love. Love in capital letters. And then we apparently have a new statement from the white house physician. We dont have it rendered for air yet. So, mike, heres what i got to do. I got to take a break. I got a Pulitzer Prize winner on deck. I have the white house physician statement on deck. Thank you, sir, for having us in as always. More when we come right back. Welcome back. As i mentioned, the white house physician is out with another statement. Its short, says little about the patient, more about the treatment. Ill quote here from it. This afternoon in consultation with specialists from walter reed and Johns Hopkins thats new i recommended this is the president s physician talking movement of the president up to Walter Reed National military Medical Center for further monitoring. This evening im happy to report that the president is doing very well. He is not requiring any supplemental oxygen, so that is good. But in consultation with specialists, we have elected to initiate remdesivir therapy. He has completed his first dose and is resting comfortably. No vitals, no word on his condition, things like oxygenation, respirations, pulse beyond what we got. That is what weve got, and presumably, knowing this medical office, what little of it we do, thats probably going to have to get us through till saturday. News of the president s positive test result is what the New York Times analysis today called the kind of psychic doomspiraling that has felt endemic to our era. To summarize 2020 so far, this piece in the times goes on to say, quote, a Campaign Season that began with the relative quaintness of an impeachment inquiry has advanced to a level of crisis that threatens the health of americas citizens, institutions, and democratic processes. And that was before the health of its president became a matter of urgent concern early friday morning. With all this in mind, we are so pleased to have back with us again our friend jon meacham, president ial historian, Pulitzer Prizewinning biographer. His latest is called his truth is marching on john lewis and the power of hope. Its a revealing and beautifully written portrait of the late congressman. Jons also the host of an excellent new podcast called it was said. It focuses on some of the most impactful and still relevant speeches in our history and since audio has been able to record them. Jon, its kind of incredible that you and i are having this conversation on a friday night in october 2020, and the background is our president is in the hospital. We know very little beyond that. President s have hated when details of their person and health have wound up in the Public Domain though they have allowed it for the public good. This is a unique circumstance where were relying on a White House Medical Office that it pains me to say has not been truthful in the past. No. So much of our common life has been on trial for the last four years. So much so that its almost something we take for granted, that everything feels unprecedented, everything feels so superlative, so hyperbolic. But you know what . Events are catching up with the superlatives and the hyperbole. Theyre now to some extent, theres a kind of equipoise between the two. And i was thinking this afternoon about one of the best descriptions of the presidency itself, which was written by john adams in the 1790s. He talked about how the first character, meaning the president , would be the subject of all eyes and the object of all contemplation, that it would be a vital role in the republic. Its a little counterintuitive to those who think that the presidency as we understand it is really a postworld war ii, a postfdr, nuclear age creation. Its always been vitally important not only politically but culturally. And what weve seen for three years now, going on four years, is the habits and the inclinations of the incumbent president have seemed almost its beyond dominating our mind space, right . Its taken over. Dominate at least suggests that theres some room to escape. And where we find ourselves, i think, is in this really interesting moment of reckoning between two things that have shaped us in the last six to eight months in particular. One is distrust, a distrust of experts, a distrust of the ordinary constitutional conventions of our lives. And the other is disease. And the distrust has fed the disease because a huge segment of the population decided not to listen to those who had expertise, decided that somehow or another they knew better, that the force of reason and science was somehow partisan, was somehow not legitimate. It was a bunch of elites trying to tell them what to do, and, by god, they were going to show em. And were seeing the wages of that. And all of us, what you were just talking about with michael, absolutely. You know, john lewis taught us that the key element of nonviolent protest was never become that which you are fighting against. Answer hate with love. Answer violence with nonviolence. So in an era bereft in many ways of grace and dignity, we must do all we can to be gracious and dignified. That said, its an inescapable fact of our unfolding history that the president repeatedly diminished the role of science and reason in combating this pandemic and now is pushing that is helping push the country to an extraordinary moment of uncertainty and unease as we face an existential election in 31 days. Jon meacham, thank you. Thats exactly why we wanted to hear from you before this night was out and before this week was out. Jon meacham joining us on the broadcast tonight. While jon was talking, weve heard an additional bit of news. Bill stepien, who is running the trump reelection campaign, he replaced brad parscale, who has since had a bit of personal trouble and was tackled and apprehended by police last weekend. Bill stepien, who came up as a political acolyte of Chris Christie and has since joined the trump forces has apparently tested positive for covid19. When we say the Trump Campaign is in pause, what we mean for accurately is the trump president ial campaign is closer to being in quarantine tonight with the leader of the Campaign Effort and the subject of the campaign, the guy whose name is at the top of the ticket, is tonight hospitalized. Its a lot in addition to the news tonight of Kellyanne Conway, in addition to the news earlier today that the chair of the Republican National committee, ronna mcdaniel, is also positive for coronavirus. Another break for our coverage. When we come back, hes the american president , but the whole world is indeed watching all of this. Reaction from around the world when we continue. Proposition 16 takes on discrimination. Some women make as little as 42 of what a man makes. Voting yes on prop 16 helps us fix that. Its supported by leaders like Kamala Harris and opposed by those who have always opposed equality. We either fall from grace or we rise. Together. Proposition 16 provides equal opportunities, levelling the Playing Field for all of us. Vote yes on prop 16. They do one of the most deven in normal times. S, our Frontline Health care workers. And when these heroes lack the resources they need, that risky job gets ten times harder. Prop fifteen makes corporations pay their fair share. To invest in our communities, in our clinics, in the essential workers who treat everyone rich, poor, and inbetween. Whether its this pandemic or the next health crisis, vote yes on prop fifteen. For all of us. It was arguably the last time in the modern era when we were this torn up politically and socially. Back in 68, protesters outside the Dnc Convention famously chanted the whole world is watching, and they were right. And its true again tonight. With our politics and society torn up, the president s hospitalized due to a pandemic he failed to control. Our report on what theyre saying about us tonight from our chief Foreign Correspondent richard engel. Reporter the uks Prime Minister Boris Johnson and brazils president , jair bolsonaro, were the two most highprofile political leaders to come down with covid before President Trumps announcement. And all three men have repeatedly downplayed the virus. Johnson ignored social distancing warnings almost as a matter of pride. Then he contracted covid. Initially johnson continued to work in isolation, making a rare appearance looking disheveled and weak, until he was transferred to an icu, severely ill. Doctors said it was touch and go. His deputy had to step in until johnson recovered. Well, obviously i think we all want to send our best wishes to the president and the first lady, and ive done that this morning as you can imagine. And im sure that theyll both stage a very strong recovery. Reporter other International Reaction was more barbed. The official china daily wrote, the positive test is yet another reminder that the coronavirus continues to spread, even as trump has tried desperately to suggest it no longer poses a danger. The french government spokesman said this demonstrates that the virus spares no one, including those who have shown skepticism, like president bolsonaro of brazil. He called covid a little flu and also flouted precautions, saying closing the economy did more harm than the pandemic. Canadas Justin Trudeaus wife also tested positive for covid. They both went into isolation. She soon recovered. And this morning russias vladimir putin, who lives in one of the worlds most isolated and protected covid bubbles, wished President Trump well in a telegram according to russian state media. I am certain your inherent vitality, good spirits, and optimism will hope you cope with this dangerous virus, the telegram reportedly said. How it played out for World Leaders who contracted covid19 really depended on the severity of their condition. Johnson, who doctors said nearly died from covid19, did initially show a bump in his popularity, although that has faded as this country and other European Countries are going through what appears to be a second wave. Bolsonaro with a mild case, it had very little impact on his standing. Richard engel, nbc news, london. When we come back after a final break, a look at where we are tonight. Robinhood believes now is the time to do money. Without the commission fees. So, you can start investing today wherever you are even hanging with your dog. So, what are you waiting for . Download now and get your first stock on us. Robinhood. Its going to disappear. One day. Its like a miracle. It will disappear. This is going to go away without a vaccine. Its going to go away. I think that at some point, thats going to just sort of disappear, i hope. Were rounding the turn on the pandemic. I wear masks when needed. When needed i wear masks. Okay. Let me ask i dont wear masks like him. Every time you see him, hes got a mask. That was then. This is now. Tonight the president of the United States is in the hospital. He says he thinks hes doing well. His doctor adds hes doing well. Thats all we have to go on. Keep it here. Updates as they happen. For us, that is our broadcast for this friday night and this week. On behalf of all of our colleagues here at the networks of nbc news, good night. I miss here smile and her laughter. I miss everything about her. It is more difficult to speak in public about it now. 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