Welcome to the Commentary magazine Daily Parkhurst we're Thursday September tents, twenty twenty, I'm John five words. The editor of commentary with me is always executive at it, Ray Green, Waldheim, Edna senior rudder, Christine hi, Christine Icon and associate editor nor Rossman High Noah, so Bob would words the first articles about Bob Woodward's, but coming next week, rage dominating the news we ve got Trump cabinet members talking to each other about whether or not there

I'm not gonna have stage a coup against them. We ve got and, of course we ve got tat. We ve got jarred Kirshner, comparing terms to the Cheshire cat, and then we ve got Trump himself talking in March about the deadline is of the virus of March or February, came remember, which Abe? What's your take? What the aspect of the Woodward, but that I saw most people running with and running with relentlessly, was trumps comments on the virus. And his downplaying of the initial scale of the threat, but I thought immediately. This is very old, lose what what is new in this. It was back in April that Trump himself explained to the nation at a White House Press conference that, yes, he downplayed,

the initial reports, because he doesn't want the country to panic and because he's a cheerleader for the country, and that meanwhile, while he was downplaying things, he was also the suitcases his explanation. He was also enacting all sorts of policies to protect that protect the country. He was working on their China Travel Ban when everyone said he shouldn't and things of that nature. So I thought well, this is we ve. The point where there are so many new cycles that open and close quickly, and so many of them are so similar, especially regarding trump that you can almost reuse, the more explosive ones as we get near to the election and people react as They haven't heard them before and indeed I think a lot of people had forgotten entirely. This whole saga right Christine well

I agree with everything apes at night and I had recalled Trump explaining self in that way is well. I'm I'm always struck by. This is the one thing about this most recent Bob Woodward. Book. That struck me immediately. Is that no Bob Woodward has its reputation of kind of, like you know sending from the journalistic Mount Olympus every few years too, you know opine and tell us all about the character of the person we have elected as our leader and everybody applause him for it, and but in this case he comes for us more like Captain Kangaroo, because he is dealing with someone who doesn't really care about character, the country elected, because they very clearly didn't care about his character. So all these supposed revelations of his character fall flat, not that they don't matter. That's a different thing. Like I mean clearly this, this shows that lots of people who because the Trump, including you don't channels, are matters and others who around him were very concerned about what about his judgment, which does in fact flow from care

I'm not trying to downplay the seriousness of of that assessment, but in terms of what it and you know the woodwork Impact on the coming election actually find it. He's not gonna be as much. I just don't think it's it's revealing. Anything we didn't already know which says think about the american electorate at this particular moment in time and and as it did in a few years ago, I think that I didn't find your than shocking Noah. Yeah agreed it's bad, it's politically bad! It's morally questionable but at least you understand the logic behind that not wanting to scare people thing nevertheless the scale of the political outrage that we ve seen, is entirely tethered to the election in part, because the same today after Anthony found. She admitted that we lied about masks we'll idea, we literally lied to you. We had no choice. We had the light you

a lot more people with a dyed. Otherwise, but it was it it was a tree. I shut that point. We had to make bargain and there will be focused on, was making sure that are medical personnel were safe and that you general populous we're not The scale of the outrage that resulted from that revelation could not be measured. It simply did not exist in part because of the image making around Anthony found. We as a foil for trot. What I don't understand by all these revelations. Is this we're back? Shhh against Bob Woodward from the centre left and particularly reporters and journalists notorious smaller media outlets, saying why did they come out with this revelation sooner as though that would have matter at all the only factor I can think of you pushed this out earlier would have been that way have less political, salience and residents now when it actually matters is a political argument. Okay, so here's here's, my

Take away again answer him in a review of all we're talking about is about the the delayed the president's saying, and I downplay the scale of the virus and downplayed the airborne transmission in order to Not panic, you not panic the stock market, as opposed to all the other revelations that we ve heard about from, like John Kerry Jim matters about how this guy's unstable figure and we have to have plans in the event that he tries to settle the country. Ok, so the conversation that here with one word saying, this is a very deadly thing. Was February: seventh, hey, that's very deadly! Apparently it's airborne. This is no joke. Now, thinking back trumpets somebody who everybody says is very effective by the last person that he spoke to and we ve been doing this daily podcast for since March.

I would say that if you went back and listen to the first two months of the podcast, You would see that we that we went from one extreme into the other day by day based on what we were hearing now, we're not the prison. States were just people reading the papers- and you know tat- to analyze. What's going on, but one day we would save my God. This is terrible. The other day it's like I don't know, there's some fishy about these numbers, maybe the locked out. You know all of that and I think very much. The same thing was going on in the White House him in the precincts. The trump was round in January February and March, Robert O Brien, the National School Visor, said to him. This could be the worst thing that you will deal with as president, in January, but if Thou chain Burke's than ever, they also saying you know what people should wear masks, and Somebody says one thing on February: seven to trumpet says this thing could be airborne and its

Billy, deadly efforts, airborne and then two hours later so he says it's not airborne is mostly on surfaces. He could be flipping all over the place. Hour by hour and therefore be as in constant about this. As everybody was everybody was nobody knew what to make of this. It was an unprecedented situation by definition, unprecedented should mean that your response is gonna, be halting confused and sloppy in the early going. The difference here is that, as I say, we're just writers, journalists, thinker, trying to make sense out of it. He's the president. United states he's not Serbs those to be going around musing in interviews with hostile reporters about what's going on and then revealing all kinds of things to them, because he has

no inner filter and doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut when he needs to keep it shot, including accordingly, woodwork basically revealing that we have some supersecret nuclear weapon that he was thinking of. You

on North Korea in twenty seventeen president of the United States are supposed to be more contained and controlled than this, and if he is now going to read the whirlwind from having said in february- oh my god, this is airborne. This is really deadly. He'll deserve it because nobody did it, but him now here's my confuse take which, as you know, Joe Biden, jumped on this city's killed. Thousands of people and people are saying all this. It doesn't make sense even elementary sense, if Trump believed solidly from February onward that this was an airborne virus that was going was. Notably deadline was gonna, kill people by the tens and hundreds of thousands for him to downplay it like that, doesn't make any. It doesn't make any logical sense for him

how to say. Oh, my god, we better prepare for this. She clearly didn't think that it was going to be as bad as it turned out to be. Otherwise, his behavior is not only in Excel couple, it is insanely self destructively psychotic it doesn't. It doesn't make any rational sense, not to say. Oh, my god, you know troubles coming like you know, down the hatches for his own, followed cystic self protection. So I am, I am oddly, you know I've been. We criticise him all the time and we criticise them over the way talks about China, I'm happy to criticism over this horrible stuffy says about Kim, and and North Korea and various other things in in and out in the interview. I've read the book at obviously it's not around, but those articles reveal but

This notion that somehow he has blown the whistle on himself and reveal that he wanted thousands of people to die because Wanted to pretend that the virus wasn't as serious as it was, does not make any rational sense. It is not a rational behaviour when he says he wants to cheer lead for the country. He could only cheerleader for the country if he doesn't know that his cheerily and the and the refusal to lock the country down or do whatever it was needed to be done, wasn't gonna kill tens that wasn't gonna led to the deaths of tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people, Look, as you said that the nobody knew what they were talking about an early February. This is early February when even the president's most political minute pulp come its political adversaries we're talking about this, as though it wasn't as bad as the flu. Nobody knew. But what did in this now,

is now presenting and what a deal about what it proper Iraq Obama do. The day announced a national emergency around the slot swine flu. We went off if you as a member ITALY, in order to come to convey that you should continue with your lives and not panic, not eliciting. Panic is something that mature responses leaders do not care about the way we are responsible leader. He is not above eliciting panic. He has spent his entire per. Is inciting panic and fear within his voters in his base in particular, but the country in Europe So the notion that he is so committed to political stability here is just nonsense. Yeah go, but one good thing to Johns point, though, that I think is true is that he he's also. We do know from his past character and behaviour that he's kind of incapable of keeping secret. So the idea that this was somehow some big secret he was keeping from the country. I agree which on is not feasible and both because it

is similar to the lot of the rhetoric that was being used until I think we can certainly fault him for not being better. Briefing Congress in and you know, dealing with dealing with logistical challenges of a pet, essential, potentially disastrous pandemic. That's absolutely on the table. They do that. He was somehow secretly sitting there. You know knowing hundreds of thousands were dying. Just being my boy, I'm not gonna revealed as it is it's ridiculous. In June, Jim mags are tech commentary, column as published a piece axes. We may call the leap, panic versus the resilient populous. We talked about it with Jim on the podcast cast was about a an earthquake in Vienna, ask and how the earthquake was responded to buy the populace and by a radio reporter who ended up serve, leading their workers

recharge hard and the pieces about something he calls or disaster researchers call elite panic. I'm gonna quote from what Jim wrote when a third please believe their own citizens will become dangerous. They begin focusing on controlling the public rat and then on addressing the disaster itself. They clamped down information, restrict real movement and devote unnecessary energy to enforcing laws. They soon were about to be broken. As in war, the first casualty in disasters is often the truth. One symptom of panic is the belief that too much information or the wrong kind of information will send citizens relay. And this so it turns out Trump saying I wanted to downplay the by, because I wanted to cheer lead and I wanted to make sure that people didn't panic is just a classic

Leadership, bad leadership tool that is a classic problem in unprecedented situations and far from being the disruptor who breaks all the China, the crockery and does he did exactly what anybody else probably would have done in this situation, which was to stand there like chip dealer in National champions, animal house, while the entire. The town is melting down going. It now. All is well don't pay any attention, always well or frankly, dribbling police. What, while a fireworks factory is blowing up behind them? Saying nothing to see here nothing to see here. This is how the deal with crises they panic

and they assume that everybody else is gonna panic and mainly to keep them com. They have to keep calm and they need to be kept com rather than in forming a self governing citizen ree that the crisis is coming and that you need to prepare, which would not necessarily mean immediate lockdown. It would not less. Thoroughly mean mandating, masks or anything. It means coming before them and telling the truth and saying We don't really know. What's going on, but this is really scary and cheerleading or not sure leading it having political footballs em. All of that is a preposterous way.

For this to be handled is preposterous, but it is conventional. That's the whole point here is the Trump did an entirely conventional thing. By wanting to pretend that the virus wasn't gonna be as bad as it was because he didn't want it to be number one in number two, because even if he had not when he said this is deadly its airborne, then what I mean, then what would this was a process? as the one on for two months before every body somehow came to the conclusion that we needed to walk down and put much of the nation in quarantine, which is still a controversial. And I remember that that the official word out of organizations like the World Health Organization was not that it was airborne- was not that it was that deadly the numbers coming out of China word being cooked, obviously in and said There was actually the global opinion was is deeply confuses. It was here at home,

so, I'm out it was not until July. It was not until July that the centres for Disease Control said that the virus was airborne. I think that's doubling the jail actually was done. Joe anywhere they finally until July, someone Trump says in February. This thing is airborne. He was simply parroting something that had been sent to him, because there were three. There were various possible possible. We now philosophies or whatever ideologies one was. It was on services and people are getting it on services, which was clearly what was believed since we have been living with cleanliness theatre now for seven months, where people scrubbing and scrubbing, and everybody spend two hours a day. Cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. All of these are movie. Theater

then schools and that's not the other than the meteor groceries in the garage for three days until the milk spoil what I mean all that stuff and it turns out if it is airborne that it's not on services like it much easier to catch, something that's airborne than it is to catch it from surfaces and yet- We are still living in the world in which were cleaning it, where everything is being scrubbed of language. Complex doesn't run you to believe it was airborne yeah. So so there is a distant I'll. Take that the response, the horrified responds to a Trump set, his disingenuous because young people for Have they forget that he said that he was cheerleading leading any wanted to downplay it They do forget and therefore their horrified that he said it in February and that's a real response. I dont think that this is just liberals. You are trying to get Trump and on the other hand, it is incumbent upon

how serious analysed to look at this and say what what would he have believed on February seven. Like you couldn't believe one thing in the morning and another thing in the afternoon and another thing in the evening we all did, and he had was not the recipient of secret mastic information that the rest of us didn't have and if he had been in my view, he pin tougher I mean you know he it's not as though shutting down the flights from you know from China. That Trump would have found it impossible to shut down flights from Europe right. That was the whole whole thing that we were then told his. Why was everything so bad in New York? It wasn't because the virus came from China was that it probably came from ITALY.

What trunk doesn't like NATO. He would have been perfectly happy to shut flights down from ITALY or from or from the EU. What does he care? He hates the EU being AIDS? The you know, I mean so this idea that he was even maybe say that he was cavalier you cannot say that he did this with math is aforethought, because that's it same leggum. Why would he if he knew that people we're gonna die in the numbers that take died and it's not just tromp. I mean if, if Trump, if there were recordings of of Trump saying back in the early days of this thing in February, what Anthony Fatuous Saying, for example, that people should be more worried about loop than about this people would be absolutely outrage, but that was there this this version of elite panic or of sort of

watching and waiting. This was what everyone was doing: except there were eight. There were a few instances of like very unreasonable, I think panic and demand There came a little later like for efforts, german you're talking about how we were zigzagging. You know from day to day there's if, if when one Andrew Como was demanding forty thousand ventilators for New York State, for example, had trump, then you know somehow gauntleted NASH. Stockpiles and pulled every resource in the country to to get that completely overestimated number of ventilators to New York, What have been crazy and would have been a moment of genuine overt, unnecessary panic right so of Latvia,

although I dont want whether they did make a ventilators rages, didn't make them in March, but I liked by may have really had they had built forty thousand unnecessary right and later since they have moved ahead. They moved on and decided that the ventilators were killing people. But there was this whole debate about what well what what what is then, when Jared Cushion, says there our ventilators. What is our mean liberties with the natural stockpile? New York is having the problem. We need them now in New York in law that well I mean the revelations in this book better interesting, although not earth shattering, are the core from the people around the president who are calling and unfit for office reformer device. Secretary saying is unfit, has no moral compass, his former d, or of national intelligence saying he doesn't know the difference between the truth and Alai, Doktor Anthony vouchers

self saying his attention span is like a minus numb, although foundering or out of it. This morning I asked him to be fit found. She denies totally. Having said that and remember, this is stuff that woodwork gets from other people who say that found she sat at forty one the Fox yesterday and said he never said it. He never heard Trump saying one thing in private and the other thing in public. If anything, I think he's was saying that Trump set everything he heard in private and public. Maybe but need I remind you that the Beata Fight Doktor Anthony Voucher, lied to you. I know, but I'm just saying I fair enough. Yes, but. Tat to transplant did it. This is a president who does tweet out like intelligence drone strikes on twitter freeze, I mean I agree. I dont think ease that another displaying treaty chess here, like you just say only thanks weather- is in private or public right. So we should

cool about matters and damn codes, mass forward fence, it rained down coats the former centre from Indiana who was the director of national intelligence because they conversation according to one word that everybody is reporting as though it's why what the hell? You know which is pretty staggering and actually fits a a trump cards, territorial narrative to a t witches that Madison we better be making plans to do something because he's unfit Mean HE and coats and various other people should invoke the twenty four of them all I'll do some kind of a coup or something like that, like you know I know that liberals love the idea that the trumps should have been twenty fifth amendment it out from basically from about January twenty first, twenty seventeen until the

hasn't day, but the idea that the defence secretary and the Director of national intelligence were actually having open conversations about this is pretty chilling. It dick there's all it is. I completely agree it's two points, so one is that we had this discussion about a mean. There were rumours about this. You know many months ago that we all discuss because suffers bubbling up in the press There is also a way to understand what Madame said as being far more narrow in scope in this sense had Trump called for some sort of me the Terry Action overseas that that matters had said no to or that military leaders thought was. You know insurance or insane. Perhaps that was the context right to say: we have to have a backup plan. We have to have a way of kind of making sure that there is a there's, a backstop. If he wants to go to war with you, no account we don't think, that's that's advisable to do. I mean I think I feel like there are in a wood Prince woodwork,

I don't really like the defence- I don't know I am not defending. I'm just saying that this idea that that everyone surrounding Trump was in on the on the knowledge that he should be here. We should use this funding for them. To remove it didn't is, I mean, would word What are its agenda is to go is broad, is possible with everything he has right, even the soft, it's obviously deep background in and not sourced all that legitimately. So I not defending trunks behaviour at All- and I think it's extremely telling so many people who have worked close to him for him and with him over the years do go on there, heard and say you know this guy is not competent, but again voters kind of new. Right, I am indeed they certainly no new a bit of it now, and they will definitely no and going into the election already. So I dont, I would have been much more shot, if it, if you but he revealed, is a secret was an area. Fifty one actually does have aliens, and it like that I mean I just don't again. I just had a journey point that his he's it's all baked into the cake which we need

Oh this about him and others. We know I just want to mention one thing: ok, so Trump says we have some secret says supersecret nuclear weapon that no one knows about right. That's why I want to talk about which, which which it must be true to one point out. There are nineteen, eighty nine. Ninety ninety, why can't quite clear rubber? When, when the Soviet Union was collapsing, it was revealed that since the late fifties, we had an upper atmosphere playing called the black hawk that could fly from California to New York in sixty minutes, and that was a spy playing that exist. For almost forty years that no one knew existed. Every president of the United States from nineteen fifty nine through George H, W Bush nineteen eighteen, I knew of the existence of the black hawk every defence.

Quiteria foot from then till now. Probably every CIA director knew of the existence of this plain and nobody ever talked about it ever it was a secret that was kept for decades, and Donald Trump cannot keep his goddamn mouth shut and it is disgusting it is, the king taught tells Bob Woodward. We have a super secret nuclear weapon.

Lucky, he thinks of himself has Harrison forward and all those cleared present danger movies. Precisely Nicholas caged national treasure, rightly like I'm gonna tell everybody everything. Spirits is okay, so far, be it from me to apologise for the present here, but if this is what I think it is it's not exactly a state secret. This is probably the low yield highly penetrate dial yield bombs that we ve been developing since the Obama administration from twenty sixteen and which began crash programme during the confrontation with North Korea because it was under, we were under the impression national security people. According to press reports, were under the impression and north korean leadership bill. If they could survive and nuclear exchange, that leadership could bunker itself and that we didn't have the kind of panic trouble weapons that would present an existential threat to the leadership, and that was why we in which this is not a programme that the president did started himself. It was brought about by who

Green, let us, after eight seven years of resisting the net net necessary modernization of the nuclear forces which refer to the point where we're in the twenties now, which is A lot of our bonds expire in life extension programmes. No longer work could be true but it could also be true. It could not be arrived at its also that sort of thing that is not exactly not we're not giving up state secrets here ass, if you're not giving up a state secret, we don't know whether Trump gave up a state secret, because you don't know that that so that the programme is that he was telling one word about by death mission. That's what you don't mention it at all, not that you mention it begins. Not that bad, like that's what it means. To keep a goddamn secret, I mean it is it's mine blowing, and this is where we get to the poor question of ultimate fitness and unfitness. Obviously, a person who does this is

to be President now fitness residency means the voters chose you, your thirty five years old, you not Phelan an you, but you know you're an american citizen, so not for me to say that these veteran said the voters. The United States chose him. He is therefore fit to be president and Jim I just can't decide. To call him out of office because he doesn't like his policies. You gotta have a conversation about it, I suppose, and in a moment of extremest like anybody can that's. Why we have a twenty fifth amendment in case stuff, like that happens, but. You know. Obviously, this is something that the american people will need to be using as a data point of up a data point to figure out whether or not he is fit to be re elected. Well, then, that since the woodwork book as a service, because it reveals trump its tapes of trump talking about issues, it's not fake news is

a fake news, there's nothing people can go, listen and make up. There are much while it it's a reminder of something that actually is useful to remember about trumpet his character, which is that he's most enlivened and effective it prowling his base. When he's on the defensive bright, attacking the people who attacked him first but what I think the one were tapes reveal, and particularly when it comes to national security and defence issues, is that that's we're supposed to be the not in the room, the final decision maker, the one who s who take listen to everything in the end and respond, and instead he still that other guy in the room who need someone to attack and because he has this weird hero, worship of veto, people like him and you know, Putin he's unable to do that and he's not comfortable in the role of being the adult in the room. Despite all As you know, apprentice style, I'm on the boss type sub, he's very. Secure in that role and its. Why, before everything's, when everything went south with people like matters too

It was kind of had hero. Worship of these generals, like you always talked about my generals, the generals or so amazing. He is deeply secure about its ability to be that you know leader, quite honestly, not us over psychology, which democracy but that's what we're is looking to legislate on the matter. It has not been able to keep his mouth shut. I agree with you, John it's it's it's very evident in it's dangerous reckless, but it also mitigates against this idea that Trump is ended. The administration is secretly scheming to do big things right, because there's no seat, he he's not. You know, he's not Nixon. In that sense, he there No, he can't hold onto any secret plan at all right roaming, it's it's that that is not the issue.

Exemplary infrastructure week. That is the great seeks, a radical revision of the trumpet nobody. I mean this. This is where we get to the this is where we get to the regulations that are important to the revelations about him, saying that there is a secret nuclear plan or this horrifying stuff about how cool it is that Kim, Oldham, how he murdered his uncle. Kim told him that he killed his uncle with radiation in the Malaysian in the in the airport. Was it Malaysia? remember the nerve agent, the nerve agent in Malaysia and boy who ban, who is really is half brother, his uncle other about greatly either murmured with a moment either any aircraft fire missile rested Ragman, that for but why that's really cool? This is like him. You know it's like it's like he really loves hearing about how you know where to tolerate killed. You now to tell you killed, look

rosy, what a cool murder that was, where you get out spiked his hand with the thing and then strangled him in the club like what what what you know that's another. Two graphic picture of some kind of an ordinary person would rear in horror, from the notion of being all the thrilling story of how I murdered my uncle, but apparently not tromp, so that that's another interesting revelation in them. This general, like Kim his grave and wise because he wrote him these letters that Woodward quotes where he calls him your excellency and says he. What's the meet him again because it was so exciting, meaning in before, and so Trump was them, because he because TIM Tim did for him. What the cabinet members did in those early cabinet meetings were, they would take them, and everyone go around the room. Talking about how wonderful Trump was remember that that was like

may March April of twenty seventeen, where everybody had sir go around the table and threats or I'm dying, fealty to him. That's is bizarre, Obviously, so again I say like fine, so it's out, so let people judge by it and if it, if people wanted judge harshly permitted to judge harshly and if they want to judge it in a different way, their permitted to do that as well. Where swear whereby eight weeks away from the election or seven weeks away from you watch it is. It is was signed at just. The fact that he spoke to Windward is sign it. Such a serious lack of discipline on trumps part- and I mean I know, Tucker Carlson'S- trying to blame it alone- Linsey, Graham now, but note he's an adult. He turns to speak to a reporter, who, he should have known, would have been hostile

You aren't, you wrote a hostile book so that lack of discipline just shows you. The trumps eager will almost always overcome his his his whenever guidance he might have taken to heart, and I just think that one, it also does in this frustrates means that it will keep the conversation focus on Trump and using common. It should be, but there are lots of things we should be asking discussing about Joe Biden as well in terms of leadership and competence. Sincerity character is, I think his character compared to trances is a bit more positive. But, like look I mean I am correct me if I'm but we haven't seen a medical record from Joe Biden in twelve years. There are lots of concerns about you know his ability to take on the country at this particular moment, given his age, I mean there are lots of kind of all schools.

It boring election year, issues that aren't even being discussed and that's transfer if he sees it throwin fuel on this fire. So here's what what? What strikes me? Here's an analogy for you guys at the hearing, the first of the day that the big hearing on nine eleven to play Candy rice was testifying before Congress, and that was when they revealed this presidential daily briefing intelligence. From August six, two thousand one that set Al Qaeda determined to strike inside you ass, an this, then became the incriminating document that show that Bush new or should have known The nine eleven was gonna happen, any didn't do anything and therefore you know he was either complicit were here

bail, dorky, did something terrible course. Have you read? document it was ok, is determined to strike inside the EU s night doesn't say when doesn't say where doesn't it just as the chatter suggest that they are really looking to strike inside the Eu S, it doesn't say planes. It doesn't say nineteen people doesn't say anything else. Oh, you know, I'm serious examination, people who would look at this fair, He would say this was opposite of actionable intelligence. It was something that meant that you have to like a high alert, but that there is there is nothing to be gleaned from it and that. As a result of what happened. The laws were changed. The domestic and foreign intelligence agencies could speak to each other, because if you had the CIA actionable intelligence about this, you can

then go to the f b- I say we better- look and see who's going to flight schools in Florida because it was it was the wall between domestic and You know in and then and the CIA was was impenetrable, and so the wall was lowered as a result, and that was the right policy. I think, but this this thing with Woodward is, I think, is very much the same kind of thing which is that for the people who want to believe the trumpets evil. This is the thing that means that he's evil, that he is the responsible for these deaths. Two hundred thousand ass because he knew and he didn't do anything. I think it's. It is a perfect analogy if you take it further still, because, just as with Bush and Al Qaeda, the people who were making this plain, would have lost their minds if President Bush, at the time,

before there was ever a nine eleven when on some forward, leaning offensive against some huge shock in our campaign against Bin Laden, then, is cohorts. In the Middle EAST. They were. These are people who couldn't tolerate what we did once we were attacked right. That was inevitable, so that is exactly what happened when this disease absolutely made a pro active move against. China was declared racism in the winning performative displays the hut, hug global asian person in China, town and designed to me Kate, how anti, whatever trumpets doing they they were, and so, Sir, we're back to this debate about what well, if he had acted, if trumpet actors our two earlier. He would have saved ex ten. Tens of thousands of numbers bless the country would have lost its my if the president's said before anyone with

when they were a handful of people. Second, United States had he said we must we be the national lockdown, the fascist still Maria would have drowned us. I think true, although you know what's funny, is if again go back in time and think about what was going on and this guy to Jim eggs point about a leak elite, panic Emma Self governing citizenry by early March, which is when people they are like by serve the end of February, which is when people safe, we'd, acted more quickly. You no more. The public had stopped going out. The american public had stopped going to movie theatres. It was I think, March, something that the Tom Hanks that basket the basketball games were cancelled. It was announced the Tom Hanks have gotten corona in in.

Australia, but for two weeks before that no one is going to restaurants. No it was going to move? We see it as movies were being postponed and pulled off the schedule. The public had already decided in major cities, of least all over the place that it was better to be safe than sorry, and I think that had there been obviously, this aside such him had there been a sober, rational com, but determined response by saying we a possible once in a century. You know, blacks, one event about to happen here and here's what people should do. They should probably stay home. They should probably be bearing masks. They should probably be doing Ex wire z. I dont know that tens of thousands of lives would have been saved or not. I dont know that the horrible decisions relating to it

nursing homes would not have been made. We probably have to go through this process of learning that this was not a respiratory disease, people wouldn't be put on ventilators anymore, and- of that, but it would have been better. Obviously if it had been done in the way it's like, I am you're, I'm the president and I am telling you as adults and people in country a what the conditions As far as we know where there is a lot, we don't know, but there are some mitigating palliative measures that we can take and by the way, but the response would have been yeah he's trying to scare us to change the story from Ukraine right or get work right, although impeachment already failed, but yes at anything that he

ed and has not, but again this is where, in the long term, yes, he is responsible for the low for the the fact that nobody trusts him I mean completely. I mean it honestly. I know that the deep state is bad and all of this, but you know he if he is not a trustworthy person she's, the one who made himself and untrustworthy person ultimately by his in inconstant, All of that now that doesn't mean that he couldn't have veto changed opinions of him. You know in the middle of crises, Woody Giuliani was heading for like rats. Simply ignominious end of his eight year term as mayor. Ah, he had like this. Gambling the boar said he had quit the Senate race and he was starting to look at. Crazy and the nine eleven happen and his entire reputation turn

a dime, because he reacted so with such a grace and power and thoughtfulness, and could trump of done that. Of course, he could have done that. Look again. Look at Andrew Cuomo granted any comment. Serve the anti trump. But I mean Andrew Cuomo with somebody that nobody, you liked until now, until April, I mean literally nobody like too afraid of them, and they made him and thought tat. He was a pretty good, but nobody like them, but he took a different tack and you know, could trump of done that yeah, at least at least It's with the people who were still willing to have of ringing. You know we visit their opinions are either with his pretty terrible performance, the president had a substantial job approval, bounce com, looking at our Cps Roquelaire Politics,

his job approval, reining in by March thirty at it was the lowest it. The gap was the lowest it had ever been with its disapproval rating, at just two point: three percent below his approval rate. There is a phrase already. That point was in the averaging around forty eight percent, which is just a rally round the flag effect, but he certainly could have made it more durable right. So, let's move on and talk about the the fact that we have yet another nonsense: study, the purpose of which is to scare everybody and get Biden elected. As far as I can tell, and to attack red state voters and people to refuse to live the wives that they are being told they should live by. You know, ah, by our

metro sexual elite, which is the study of the Sturgis Motor Michael Rally and its aftermath Christine you you were. You have been up a student this event and the end, the study and all I can you work. You fell asleep and mother, like a rally, is obviously a very big cultural events for lots of people and its, and it is probably the perfect distillation of wine. A blue state technocratic it particularly media professional, when his kind of despise for a very important time, so that is actually the contacts with this system he had self at a was not peer, reviewed was sort of pushed out. There is as clear I mean it is one of the clear cases of

kind of effective propaganda that I've seen, and I would direct everyone to very good analysis in reason magazine by Elisabeth Nolan Brown. She basically broke it all. In in very sorry for thing, here's the thing that was that I think a lot of people were concerned about is that it was called this sort of super spreader of that right. We ve heard this phrase here and there, but they also put a touch of costume of twelve, billion dollars, a right that we should say what it said. So what it said was that the Sturgis most like rally lead to two and sixty thousand? new cases of of kroner, and then which which, of course, they then sent word. Twenty percent of all the new cases were from this one super spreader event and again for context. The I assume the only other super spreader events we ve been having at this country has been George Floyd Black lives matter, protest rally

all summer rate, and we ve talked about how they actually haven't been as many new cases that that we can track that. There's a lot of discussion among people who are still concerned about events about whether, in fact the mass wearing is effective, given the context of again. This is another. How can track those cases if you can ask them where baby exactly we actually near our framework policy for fur covered Trent trackers was too not even ask if they'd attended a protest, That was some handsome violations that the context for looking at the Sturgis Red state motorcycle rally is entirely through the prism of a kind of I'd put Lee, ideologically motivated effort to make red states look like very irresponsible, that doesn't set aside the question of whether the in fact people were Edna wearing masts in doing us if they should have done. That's a separate issue that this study is is bunk even Christine The governor was like this is not science scientist science fiction, she's, not wrong

there were two hundred and sixty cases in in her state and there are also other hosting behind, and there are a lot of other other things going on. Same time in the state that could have been locked up by researchers as other parcel, the reasons for this very mild speech this occurred, so they used and they use some preposterous thing where they track phone dead, I don't know they use, hang cell phone pings. While they were able went and then they, then they counted the number of new cases where they went and they were soon it was caused by Sturgis. That was the attraction that's comparatively unverifiable, given their research, you just the same because, like what are the places that most a lot of people came from LOS Angeles County, Why? Because they promote cycles in LOS Angeles County, and then they came back to LOS Angeles county? Who knows why people? Why there's nobody?

really knows why there was a bit of a spike in LOS Angeles County in August, but the idea that it came Sturgis and by the way the other. The other thing here is that, as as we going into this gradually from month to month to month, Sturgis was an outdoor event. You know It is very clear. It seems very clear associated really now that danger from covered isn't is? Is an indoor danger because of course, if it is airborne at it is passed through, you, know spit bubbles or whatever you want to call them. Obviously, they need to remain as static you know, in the air so that other people can breathe men, whether yeah, it is a mistake to an analyze. This is, though, its rational or based on science or data. It is not. It is a cultural matter. It is a cultural signifier

you can go outside and you can have a line dancing party with your friends as long as your politics are right, but you can't go trick or two in writing de work. Among your cycle rally yard, you can't go vote in person ex at night kind of can, because that was a really bad idea and it could have negative, diverse electoral consequences. All of this is politics. None of it is about public health and we should start treating it like a political issue, because everyone else's and not only not gonna, believe it's after any more trying to pretend, as though this is a public health matter, when no one else is treating them like a public healthcare moments. Why treads the Americans faith in the media, as an institution with guard to getting information about covert and the pandemic is at an all time low. It's like people just don't believe that they do not believe what red and honestly Seeing that the weighted story was covered in this. This extremely flawed study was covered, they shouldn't

I don't. I don't want to sound like an anti backs- are tight figure, no q and honour the jet it you should have a huge amount of scepticism knew his right about. All of these stories will one more point about the source of the the estimate. The story estimate said the public health costs with something like would beat with was twelve billion dollar from this right. Now. That assumes that each one of the science fiction number of cases, if Miss acquired hospitalization that everyone has a severe case required us prosaic line and became hospitals. Nations me Madame mention this earlier in the week, but a lot of the new numbers coming out about covert cases on college campuses have also been height up his. Oh, my god. Look at this nightmare. All these new cases, its terrible and there are there. Oh hospitalization so far, which is a great thing like it shows that the but the virus and healthy younger people has a milder a fact which is good, but it

build, as you know, we're gonna have another spiked. This is gonna, go kill people. This is terrible. Ok, so I'm on the New York Times is web page dried, and so the stories most of the stories are Trump LAW eight of its trump. This really blah blah blah minimizing the virus right and then right above it, United States, new cases, very three thousand two hundred and one fourteen data, minors. Thirteen percent were now into the fourth week of steady declines every single day in the fourteen day, change of thirteen, some new debts down twenty two percent, numbers large by the weights. Eleven hundred and seventy six, but the fourteen day change is down twenty two poorest so we are screaming and yelling about the severe

you have a virus or the nightmare of super spreading, and all of this in the midst of the refusal to stress the fact that clearly, the virus is on a down turn now the false coming there may be an upsurge, that's what everybody is worried about. There is no upsurge Let me raise a ferrari. The story is not is not case. Growth necessarily, and I think that everybody should be worried about the. Secondly, the second wave is upon them in Europe and, he's colleges now that are shutting down and sending kids back home when they have an outbreak, are doing exactly what they shouldn't do rights. Come on campus, yes exerting rice, The story is not case growth or case declines. It is outcomes and hospitals right out in hospitals. Profoundly better you anywhere at any point in the spring. So so, yes, they're not trustworthy,

Average is not trustworthy and you can understand why it is that attract that up that a trump voter would be looking in this endeavour. Saying so screw all of you. Like I'm listening to you, I can't paying you know, I don't. I I believe, a word that you're saying and somehow there being hoax by Fox NEWS, dumping hoax there being Hoechst by the New York Times eminent. That's not a hoax, see their none of this is a halt, but you know, but it takes some sleuthing on part of an average citizen who has the Bob billion things to worry at bowed and deal with it some sleuthing on their part, to work their way through these stories. To realise that? What that, the main line headlines are not exactly reflective of what's happening, and that's why trump talking to one word was such a toxic decision for him.

Because it is gonna remind people, seven weeks before election day that he downplayed the virus It will remind people who are not following this on an hourly basis like us that he downplay the virus. It will cause them to question why he did that they're not going to do the sleuthing to find out why he might have done it or give him necessarily them, the doubt being reminded of Miss steps and mistakes during his presidency is exactly what Biden needs, because not only does it make it impossible Christine says for buying to be the focus of the stories about whether or not he is potentially fat or not fit to be president, but because people have short m reason. If the whole thing is prompted this trunk did that prompted the other thing and his Sir on Twitter. Are things like, don't Underestimate Kim Cha on, which is what he said this morning, he's real

healthy. Don't underestimate! Em like great, you know what I want underestimate em and I'm let the other guy deal with them because you're a crazy person who likes Kim Jong I've- I mean you, know wherever three years ago, when basically, the entire people were starting to like sleeping fall out shelters because they thought tromp was going to start a war with North Korea? You know it's like as as somebody with a hollow via that. It should be that now he's like now he's you know, mister, I love North Korea and and murdering uncles and and and you know and Kim Jong starving everybody, the death and he loves Erika one because, as he says to windward, I don't know what to do. As these tough guys, they like me- and I, like the one great you know- that's really fantastic. That's what you know he didn't need to talk to would work to give Woodward material to publish a book. That's gonna come out two months were the elect

To remind people who are paying that much attention of his attitudes and thought processes, maybe you can prevent it from coming out himself because he has no self control and he'll be on twitter for two months and you'll. Be there everything, but what are the debates gonna be about the bait in two weeks to Eastern? I believe it's two weeks from today is the first, the presidential debate on the twenty ninth I gave as I have, though I maybe have the dates wrong, but or maybe three weeks are able to that's a September now ten thousand things and about which we now and then, but he is gonna- have to answer questions about what he said to one. Where did he downplay the virus? Data can be forty five minutes on the virus and by the end of those forty five minutes he is gonna, be in a hole now can climb out of the hole. Guess structurally, can he when this right, yes, I can dig it out are the issues, the thing that are gonna kill him, probably not, but you didn't need this

Trouble ebbs brought it upon himself, and I you know talker Karlsson concerned can spend a week saying this was all the Graham's fault. It's not Lindsey, Graham Swat doing mention tunnel from self defence of himself. In his tweets this morning, I didn t she used to talk about that reads: the crowd if he bought in talking about our blood quoth, if he thought they were so bad or dangerous. Why? he immediately report them in an effort to save lives. So let's just stop and think on every second, the president's defence. Here, well. Why didn't they stop me? Well, that's not it. So I need a time out. Some christian clipping naughty biller events like that, you know what I'm crazy, you know I was doing,

crazy, then, why didn't you try to stop me? That's really on you with a cry for help well, but I think, but I think we have asked why your story of a campaign trail what slowly Billy tell every at every rally right. It was the scorpion in the frog told that at every or what the snake will make that that that poem You know I was asleep when man, but I also think that defences attach the idea will if they thought I was what I was doing so crazy wanted. They stop me. Maybe it's because they didn't figure was so crazy right. Well, I think that that is that's that's what he in turn wrote to sound like it doesn't really sound that way. Me, I don't know it's a kind of gas lighting. Emily There really is hooty believe merrier lying eyes while ices at it. Obviously Woodward thought it was totally fine. Does he didn't reveal it at the time and its rather, would we

like ho HO a million copies in the first week and adapt I got here that's what Woodward thought when he came out of his mouth he's like I'm gonna make so much money, but I'm making money like no one has ever made money before, but I mean not it. And all the you know, unicorn of this election Reno they suburban lady voter, but there's a sense in which their you get to point we're trump. Where I mean I know we all talk about. Like disaster fatigue and in the media, but if europe- That and voter who's not quite sure, has some reservations about the democratic taking back the White House. You look You look at all these. You know you look at this new cycle with Trump and it's really like dealing with a dysfunctional boyfriend or in a word you know his he's hanging out with the wrong crowd, a prisoner on crowd. You trying to tell him you know now. This is not a good guy he's, like always tough. I love this guy or you're. He doesn't

Now and then try to tell you that, actually it was so bad. Why don't you stop? If I meet? There is a mere dysfunctionality that is quite intimate when you read, twitter feed on a regular basis, which one shouldn't do too much, but its interest, I just saw kind of windows wonders emeralds its propellant to those workers. Why I mean this gets too? This is something that we have. We start the spy glass and twenty sixteen became present twenty seventeen and every week or we're just doing at once a week that we're doing twice a week we said what is he doing? He's gonna need more voters. She's gonna need more voters to win in twenty twenty. What is he doing to reach them and obviously that dysfunctional boyfriend thing is perfectly fine I'm with the forty two percent or forty three percent or forty four percent of Americans, who are almost assuredly going to vote for him. But what about that

three percent more that he needs. And he has never done anything and how he He uses levers the next two months to get those people on his side is very, very I'm just gets more and more unclear by the day. It's a real action campaign. Comment likes likes to energizing river basin. With aside helping of depressed the other guys vote right, that's the formula, that's the winning formula, that's what works, but with the press. He's doing right now, it seems, is focusing a lot on the base, but people in the base that shit Pretty solid. Putting out this now, this list of US prick potential supreme

The point is three of whom are sitting Republican Sanders with pretty high profiles, all of whom are sitting staring down the barrel of between twenty four run is disconcerting. If you think that the president is trying to appeal to a base, and not just in trying to clear the field for Don Junior and try and fighting for a goddamn, I mean, after some very clear, but it suggests that the present Looking looking at its base and little by little curious about how enthused they are about this about wallets could well at this late date at this late hour, ok, so we will be back tomorrow for Christine Now I'm John pot words keep the cannibals,