>> WELCOME BACK TO CHEDDAR'S
OPENING BELL IN WASHINGTON
D C CORONAVIRUS STILL
DOMINATING THE POLITICAL
CONVERSATION THIS TIME AROUND
THOUGH IT'S A LOT PERSONAL FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP. FOLLOWING ITS
CORONAVIRUS DIAGNOSIS LAST WEEK
THE PRESIDENT NOW SAYS HE'S
FEELING GREAT IN FACT THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF TELLING FOX
NEWS. HE'S HOPING TO HOLD NOT
ONE BUT 2 RALLIES
THIS WEEK. IF HIS CAMPAIGN CAN
PUT THEM TOGETHER IN TIME IN
JOINING US TO TALK ALL ABOUT IT
IS CHARLOTTE ALTER NATIONAL
CORRESPONDENT FOR IT
TIME CHARLOTTE REALLY GREAT TO
HAVE YOU ON THIS CDC SAYS
PEOPLE CAN STOP ISOLATING MORE
HER LAST ABOUT 10 DAYS AFTER
THE ONSET
OF SYMPTOMS WHICH ACCORDING TO
THE PRESIDENT'S DOCTORS STARTED
OCTOBER 1ST
THAT MEANS TECHNICALLY, I GUESS
YOU COULD BE ABLE TO HOLD
RALLIES
ACTUALLY THINK THE PRESIDENT
WILL BE HITTING THE CAMPAIGN
TRAIL SO SOON AFTER BEING
HOSPITALIZED.
I I DO
THINK HE IS LIKELY TO HIT THE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL SO SOON AFTER
BEING HOSPITALIZED. I THAT
DOESN'T MEAN I THINK
HE SHOULD ONE OF THE BIG
PROBLEMS HERE WITH THE
PRESIDENT'S DIAGNOSIS HAS BEEN
THE LACK OF
CREDIBLE INFORMATION AND THE
CONSISTENCY WITH WHICH THE
MESSAGE COMING OUT OF THE WHITE
HOUSE ABOUT THE PRESIDENT
CONDITION HAS
BEEN CONTRADICTED BY REPORTS
FROM INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE SO
THE PROBLEM IS HERE THAT NOBODY
REALLY KNOWS WHAT TO BELIEVE
NOBODY KNOWS WHEN THE RESIDENTS
LAST NEGATIVE TEST WAS NOBODY
REALLY KNOWS WHEN EXACTLY THE
PRI AS AN INNOCENT VICTIM
STARTED SO WELL HE MAY BE GOING
OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL SOON
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S SAFE
FOR HIM TO DO THAT.
SO SEAN HANNITY WAS
KIND OF PRESSING HIM LAST NIGHT
ABOUT THIS IDEA OF WHEN HE
LAST TOOK A NEGATIVE
CORONAVIRUS TEST RATINGS BLAST
AND TESTED IT
ALL DO YOU EXPECT WE MIGHT GET
SOME CLARITY OR DO YOU THINK
THAT WE'RE JUST NEVER GOING TO
REALLY KNOW HOW THIS ALL PLAYED
OUT.
I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE WE'LL GET
SOME CLARITY BUT I DON'T THINK
THAT CLARITY IS GOING COME FROM
THE PRESIDENT OR HIS DOCTORS.
THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY SORT OF
TENDENCY TO MUDDY THE WATER
THERE'S AROUND THIS AND I THINK
THAT IF WE YOU GET CLARITY IT
WON'T NECESSARILY BE THROUGH
THOSE OFFICIAL CHANNELS.
TALK ABOUT YOUR YOUR NEWEST
PIECE FOR TIME MAGAZINE WHICH
TAKES A LOOK JUST ALL
THIS MISINFORMATION. THAT WE'RE
SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY
LEADING UP TO THE ELECTION.
AS THE PRESIDENT'S
CORONAVIRUS DIAGNOSIS PLAYED
INTO MISS INFORMATION OVERLOAD
AT THIS POINT.
SO ONE OF THE LEARNED I SPENT
ABOUT 3 WEEKS DRIVING ACROSS
THE MAIN BATTLEGROUND STATES
WISCONSIN MICHIGAN
AND PENNSYLVANIA. AND ONE OF
THE THINGS I LEARNED IS THAT A
LOT IS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
NOT FOLLOWING THE
NEWS CLOSELY AND THEY EITHER
BELIEVE THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE
LIKE THEY BELIEVE IN Q A ON OR
THEY DON'T BELIEVE THINGS THAT
ARE TRUE.
OR THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THINGS
THAT ARE AT OUR YOU KNOW I I
MET A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO WIN, YOU KNOW AT THE TIME
THAT I TALKED TO THEM MAY BE
THE BIG NEWS WAS THAT THAT
PRESIDENT HAD CALLED AMERICAN
WAR DEAD USERS ARE SUCKERS FOR
THAT TAPED
ARE URGED OF HIM
PURPOSELY DOWNPLAYING THAT THE
DEADLINESS OF THE AND THEY
DIDN'T
REALLY CARE OR
THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE THOUGH THE
REPORTS AND WHEN I CALLED THEM
BACK TO ASK ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT'S
COVID DEBT COVID DIAGNOSIS
AGAIN THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT
SAID SHOCKWAVES THROUGH
WASHINGTON. IT WAS IT
WAS PERCEIVED BY THE POLITICAL
CLASS TO BE A MAJOR TURNING
POINT IN THE
PRESIDENTIAL RACE AND THE
VOTERS THAT I CALLED BACK
DIDN'T REALLY SEEM TO CARE IT
DIDN'T CHANGE THEIR MINDS.
OKAY, SO THAT'S SO CHARLOTTE
AND ON THAT NOTE WE TALK ABOUT
THIS KIND OF
MEDIA CLASS TO THIS REPORTER
CLASS WHERE WE KNOW WE ARE SO
AND AND PAYING ATTENTION TO
THESE STORIES. I
DO YOU I THINK THAT THE
MAINSTREAM MEDIA IS MISSING.
BIG PICTURE AGAIN THIS TIME
AROUND WE KNOW
IN 26 SEEN PRETTY MUCH
EVERYBODY GOT IT WRONG AND
THOUGHT THAT HILLARY CLINTON
WAS GOING TO WIN. THE
CONVENTIONAL WISDOM AT THIS
POINT IS THAT BIDEN IS AHEAD BY
SO MUCH IN
THE POLLS. BUT DO YOU THINK
WHAT MAINSTREAM MEDIA ONCE
AGAIN GETTING AROUND.
I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME
ASPECTS THAT THAT MAINSTREAM
MEDIA IS
CERTAINLY MISSING. BUT I ALSO
THINK THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME
CORRECTIONS FROM 20 16,
PARTICULARLY IN POLLING.
THAT HOPEFULLY ARE GOING TO
GIVE US A CLEARER PICTURE GOING
INTO THIS RACE THAN WE HAD
GOING INTO THAT RACE. BUT I
ACTUALLY THINK
THE CORONAVIRUS. AND THE
PANDEMIC HAS MADE THE
MAINSTREAM
MEDIA EVEN OR BLIND TO THE
SITUATION ON THE
ROAD INTO AND TO HOW REAL
VOTERS ARE ACTUALLY THINKING
ABOUT
THIS BECAUSE MOST REPORTERS ARE
NOT ABLE TO
GO OUT AND TALK TO PEOPLE TO
YOU KNOW JOE BIDEN
ONLY IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS
STARTED HAVING EVENTS THAT HAD
PEOPLE AT THEM. HE WAS HAVING
EVENTS BUT THEY WOULD BE I
ONLINE OR IF THEY WERE IN
PERSON THERE WOULD BE AN
AUDIENCE OF LIKE 20 PEOPLE
AND THAT WAS ON PURPOSE BECAUSE
THE CAMPAIGN DID NOT WANT TO
HAVE A CROWD THAT COULD SPREAD
COVID SO
I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A
A POLITICAL MEDIA THAT IS A
LITTLE BIT BLINDED BECAUSE
BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF ABILITY
TO DO
ON THE GROUND REPORTING AND I
WAS ONLY ABLE TO DO THIS
REPORTING BECAUSE I HAD
COVID-19 OVER THE SUMMER AND I
WERE COVERED SO IT WAS A LITTLE
BIT LESS DANGEROUS FOR ME TO GO
OUT AND TALK.
IT JUST THERE'S IT'S IT'S
REALLY FASCINATING THAT SUCH
GOOD INSIGHT AND I THINK THAT
YOU'RE RIGHT I THINK MOST
PEOPLE AT HOME RIGHT NOW LOOKS
LIKE YOU'RE ALL RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU HAVE TO REALLY GET A
FEEL FOR FOR WHAT'S GONE ON OUT
AND EVEN REPORTERS WHO ARE ON
THE GROUND AND YOU'RE STILL
TALKING TO PEOPLE WITH MASKS ON
AND IT'S IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME
IT'S A FIELD REPORTER FOR A
LONG TIME. SWITCHING GEARS
QUICKLY I WANT TO
TALK ABOUT THAT DEBATE NEXT
POTENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
WE TURN THIS BACK AND FORTH FOR
A WHILE THE VIRTUAL WHO'S GOING
TO PARTICIPATE. HOW DO YOU
THINK THIS IS GOING TO WIND UP
SHAKING OUT SOMETHING WE'RE
GOING TO JUST GET ANOTHER DO
YOU THINK WILL EVEN GET ANOTHER
DEBATE BEFORE THE ELECTION.
TRULY THIS IS TOTALLY UP IN THE
AIR RIGHT NOW AND I DON'T THINK
ANYBODY KNOWS HOW THIS IS GOING
TO PLAY OUT. IT'S STILL KIND OF
BEING NEGOTIATED BY BOTH
CAMPAIGNS. RIGHT NOW THE
SITUATION IS THAT YOU KNOW
AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID THAT
HE WOULD
NOT PARTISAN PAYTON THAT IN THE
VIRTUAL DEBATE NEXT THAT TODAY
HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A JOB, I
DIDN'T TOWN HALL
AND THEN THAT FOLLOWING DEBATE
WAS STILL ON.
NOW THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN IS GOING
BACK AND SAYING THEY WANT 2
MORE DEBATES, THE BIDEN
CAMPAIGN IS SAYING
YOU KNOW YOU ARE HE SAID YOU
WOULDN'T SHOW UP TO THE ONE
NEXT SO YOU KNOW THEY CAN BE
IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE ABOUT
THIS IS THAT.
THE DEBATE SCHEDULE IS SET BY
THE COMMITTEE ON PRESIDENTIAL
DEBATES, IT'S NOT DECIDED BY
THE CAMPAIGNS. SO IT'S NOT
REALLY UP TO THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN
OR THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HOW MANY
DEBATES THEY HAVE THEY CAN
DECIDE WHETHER TO
SHOW UP. AND I THINK THAT THAT
TRUMP CAMPAIGN IN PARTICULAR IS
YOU KNOW TRYING TO YOU IS THAT
AS A
BARGAINING CHIP, THEY CAN ADD
OR SUBTRACT DEBATES TO THE
SCHEDULE WITHOUT THE
COMMISSION'S APPROVAL I IN FACT
I DON'T HAVE THAT POWER AT ALL
IT'S THE COMMISSION'S