>> Shannon: FOX NEWS MEDICAL
>> Shannon: FOX NEWS MEDICAL
CONTRIBUTOR AND FRIEND OF
FOX NEWS AT NIGHT,
DR. MARC SIEGEL, AN EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT
TODAY.
THEY TALKED IN DEPTH ABOUT THE
NATION’S BATTLE THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC AND WHAT TO EXPECT
NEXT.
>> WHAT ABOUT TESTING, WHAT YOUR
PLANS GOING FORWARD WITH
TESTING, FULL TESTING WORK ARE
YOU GOING TO APPROACH IT?
SPEAK ON GOING WITH THE EXPERTS.
I HAPPEN TO THINK -- WE ARE
DOING MORE TESTING THAN ANYBODY
IN THE WORLD BY FAR.
I THINK SECOND IS INDIA WITH
12 MILLION, WE WILL BE AT OVER
50 MILLION TESTS THIS WEEKEND.
TO ME, EVERY TIME HE TESTIFIED A
CASE AND IT GETS REPORTED IN THE
NEWS, WE FOUND MORE CASES.
IF INSTEAD OF 50 WE DID 25, WE
HAVE HALF THE NUMBER OF CASES.
SO I PERSONALLY THINK IT’S
OVERRATED, BUT I AM TOTALLY
WILLING TO KEEP DOING IT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SO MANY MORE
TESTS THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY BY
FAR.
AND THE PRESIDENT OF MEXICO CAME
TO SEE ME, I SAID WHAT DO YOU DO
IN MEXICO HAS GOT SOME VERY BIG
PROBLEMS.
THEY TEST WHEN SOMEBODY GOES
INTO A HOSPITAL, THEY MIGHT TEST
A LITTLE AREA BUT IT’S VERY
LIMITED TESTING AND THIS IS TRUE
WITH MOST COUNTRIES, WE’RE
SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON
MASSIVE TESTING AND I’M OKAY
WITH IT, THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING
IT’S A GOOD THING TO DO, BUT
WE’VE DONE 50 MILLION TESTS IN
INDIA, PRETTY BIG COUNTRY,
1.4 BILLION PEOPLE, THEY’VE DONE
ONE-THIRD OF THE NUMBER OF TESTS
THAT WE’VE DONE, ONE FOURTH OF
THE NUMBER OF TESTS THAT WE’VE
DONE, SO I’M OKAY WITH THAT IF
DONE, SO I’M OKAY WITH THAT IF
THEY WANT TO DO IT, BUT AGAIN,
IT MAKES US LOOK BAD, BUT THEY
SAY IT’S GOOD.
I DON’T MIND LOOKING BAD IF IT’S
A GOOD THING.
BUT THINK OF IT, IF INSTEAD OF
50 MILLION WE DID 25 MILLION,
WE’VE GOT HALF THE NUMBER OF
CASES.
THE CASES WOULD BE DOWN.
HERE WOULD BE THE NORMAL
HEADLINE -- NOT FOR ME IT WOULD
BE, BUT FOR ANYBODY ELSE, THEY
WOULD SAY CASES CUT IN HALF, BUT
THEY WOULDN’T
THEY WOULDN’T REPORTED THAT WAY.
THEY WOULDN’T REPORTED THAT WAY.
>> AS A FATHER AND GRANDFATHER,
WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN WITH
SCHOOLS, WHAT WILL YOU DO?
>> I’D LIKE TO SEE THEM OPEN IT
AGAIN, THE CHILDREN, WHETHER
IT’S IMMUNE SYSTEM, I GUESS I
WAS WATCHING YOU ONE NIGHT, YOU
SAID IMMUNE SYSTEM.
WHATEVER IT IS, THEY ARE A LOT
STRONGER THAN WE ARE BECAUSE IT
JUST DOESN’T HAVE -- DOESN’T
HAVE ALMOST ANY IMPACT.
IT’S A TINY PERCENTAGE OF 1%.
IT’S LIKE MEANING MUCH, MUCH
LESS THAN 1%.
I’D LIKE TO SEE THE SCHOOLS
OPEN.
THE COUNTRY HAS TO OPEN.
WE DID THE RIGHT THING, WE
CLOSED IT DOWN, WE SAVED
MILLIONS OF LIVES, NOW WE ARE
OPENING IT UP AND I THINK THE
DEMOCRATS ARE ACTUALLY DOING IT
LARGELY FOR POLITICAL REASONS.
THEY THINK THE ECONOMY WON’T BE
A STRONG BECAUSE WE ARE DOING
VERY WELL WITH JOBS, SO WE
BOOKED A RECORD TWO MONTHS IN A
ROW WITH JOB NUMBERS.
I REALLY BELIEVE THE DEMOCRATS
ARE DOING THIS FOR POLITICAL
REASON.
IF YOU CLOSED ON CALIFORNIA, YOU
KNOW, IT’S A BIG STATE, YOU
CLOSE DOWN SOME OF THESE PLACES,
IT’S NOT GOING TO SHOW.
WATCH, ON NOVEMBER 4TH
EVERYTHING WILL OPEN UP.
>> MASKS.
IF THERE’S A DIFFERENCE OF
OPINION BETWEEN TWO GREAT
GOVERNORS THAT BOTH SUPPORT YOU,
GOVERNOR ABBOTT IN TEXAS I’M A
UNIVERSAL MASK POLICY, IN
FLORIDA, GOVERNOR DeSANTIS,
WHO I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF
RESPECT FOR HIS NOT PUTTING IN
THAT MASK POLICY.
CERTAIN COUNTIES HABIT.
IS THERE A ROLE YOU WILL PLAY IN
TALKING TO THE GOVERNORS ABOUT
MASKS?
I MIGHT TALK ABOUT UNIVERSAL
MASK.
>> President Trump: MY
ATTITUDE IS THAT WHEN I WAS AT
THE HOSPITAL, I FELT VERY
COMFORTABLE WEARING THE MASK.
I WAS SEEING YOUNG PEOPLE THAT
WERE HURT VERY BADLY IN MILITARY
SITUATIONS AND I FELT FOR THEM,
NOT FOR ME, I FELT FOR THEM MIND
WEARING A MASK WAS A GOOD THING.
I FELT EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE.
I DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE IN
OTHER SETTINGS.
WHEN I’M ALL BY MYSELF ON A
STAGE IN EVERYBODY’S WAY FAR
AWAY.
I DON’T THINK IT’S SOMETHING
THAT YOU HAVE TO DO OR SHOULD
DO.
BUT EVERYONE AROUND ME HAS
TESTED, SO I’M NOT THE PERFECT
PERSON TO TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD
WEAR IT, EVEN IF THERE’S A 1%
CHANCE IT HELPS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
DR. FAUCI AND OTHERS AND THIS IS
A KNOCK BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK
EARLY ON, THEY WERE ALL SAYING
DON’T WEAR A MASK.
DON’T WEAR A MASK.
THAT DIDN’T MAKE TOTAL SENSE TO
ME, BUT DON’T WEAR A MASK.
NOW THEY’RE ALL SAYING WEAR A
MASK.
MY ATTITUDE IS, IT PROBABLY
HELPS.
GIVE IT A SHOT BECAUSE WE HAVE
TO WIN THIS THING.
SO IT’S NOT A QUESTION OF PRIDE,
IT’S NOT A QUESTION OF ANYTHING,
WE HAVE TO WIN THIS SO WHEN
YOU’RE IN A CERTAIN SITUATION, I
THINK YOU SHOULD WEAR A MASK.
>> NURSING HOMES, BIG FIASCO,
40% OF THE DEBTS IN THIS
COUNTRY, THE GOVERNOR OF
NEW YORK, WHO AS YOU KNOW WAS
INVOLVED IN THIS WHOLE ISSUE OF
A GREAT NUMBER OF NURSING HOME
DEATHS IN NEW YORK IS NOW GOING
AROUND THE COUNTRY ADVISING
PEOPLE ON HOW TO GET OUT OF A
HOT SPOT SITUATION WERE NEW YORK
DID REALLY WELL.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HIM
BLAMING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
FOR WHAT HAPPENED IN THE
NEW YORK NURSING HOMES?
>> HE DID AND HE WAS HIT SO HARD
THAT HE STOPPED DOING THAT.
HE WAS TRYING TO SAY THAT HE
WOULD LISTEN TO A GUIDELINE
BECAUSE REALLY IT WAS COMMON
SENSE.
WE GAVE THEM A TREMENDOUS
FACILITY THAT THEY REALLY DIDN’T
USE.
WITH ALL THE HOSPITAL WITH 2,800
BEDS.
THEY COULD HAVE USED THAT.
THAT WAS CLEAN, 100% CLEAN AND
UNFORTUNATELY THEY MADE -- AND
IT WAS A MISTAKE AND IT WAS A
SAD MISTAKE, BUT HE’S WORKED
VERY HARD.
IN ALL FAIRNESS TO
GOVERNOR CUOMO, HE’S WORKED VERY
HARD.
WITH GOTTEN ALONG VERY WELL.
I THINK OVERALL HE’S ACTUALLY
SET WE’VE DONE AN OUTSTANDING
JOB.
HE ACTUALLY SAID HE’S DONE A
PHENOMENAL JOB FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT STANDPOINT, SO WE
MOVED THE SHIP IN, WE HAD A LOT
OF ROOM THERE, IT WASN’T
UTILIZED LIKE IT COULD HAVE BEEN
AND WE HAD THE CONVENTION CENTER
WHERE WE HAD 2,800 BEDS BUILT
AND THAT WASN’T USED OR VERY
CERTAINLY NOT VERY MUCH.
IT WOULD’VE BEEN GREAT -- IN
RETROSPECT IF THEY WOULD HAVE
USED THAT FOR SOME OF THESE
PATIENTS, MOVING INFECTED PEOPLE
BACK IN CERTAINLY WAS NOT THE
ANSWER.
WE ARE VERY, VERY CAREFUL ALL
OVER THE COUNTRY, YOU WOULDN’T
EVEN HAVE TO BECOME EVERYBODY
WATCHED THAT AND THEY ARE ALL --
ETHIC NURSING HOMES RIGHT NOW I
VERY HEAVILY PROTECTED.
THEY HAVE TO BE.
BUT THEY’RE VERY HEAVILY
PROTECTED.
>> DR. BIRX IS A BIG ADVISOR
APPEARS THAT ISN’T GETTING
ENOUGH ATTENTION.
OF COURSE EVERYBODY GETS SLAMMED
BUT I’M DISTURBED ABOUT THAT
BECAUSE SHE’S A WOMAN.
CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT HER
ROLE?
>> I THINK SHE’S ONE OF THE
FINEST PEOPLE I’VE EVER MET IN
THE WORLD OF MEDICINE,
MEDICAL -- YOU KNOW, SHE IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE
INCREDIBLE WORK THAT’S TAKEN
PLACE ON AIDS IN AFRICA.
IT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE ALIVE
RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF HER.
SHE’S AN UNBELIEVABLE WOMAN, A
WOMAN OF TREMENDOUS SUBSTANCE
AND STYLE, FRANKLY.
SHE HAS AN AMAZING STYLE.
SHE WALKS INTO THE ROOM AND SHE
CAN TAKE A SCARF AND DO 15
THINGS WITH IT AND SHE IS REALLY
SOMEBODY THAT -- AND THAT’S THE
LEAST IMPORTANT THING.
SHE IS A BRILLIANT WOMAN, SHE’S
A GREAT WOMAN.
SHE GETS SOME VERY UNFAIR
TREATMENT, IN MY OPINION.
I READ ONE STORY IN
"THE NEW YORK TIMES," WHICH IS
FAKE NEWS, LARGELY, BUT THEY
WANT TO KNOCK HER.
I THINK THEY KNOCK HER BECAUSE
SHE PROBABLY IS ON MY SIDE.
BUT SHE IS A FANTASTIC WOMAN
WHO’S DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.
LONG BEFORE THIS CAME UP, SHE
WAS INVOLVED IN THINGS -- YOU
HAVE TO LOOK AT HER BACKGROUND.
HER BACKGROUND IS INCREDIBLE.
SHE’S A BRILLIANT WOMAN WAS A
FINE, FINE PERSON.
>> FINAL QUESTION, THIS HAS BEEN
VERY OVER POLITICIZED, THE
VIRUS, VERY DISAPPOINTING TO ME
AS A PHYSICIAN.
CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT
AND LESSONS YOU HAVE LEARNED
THAT YOU WOULD TAKE INTO THE
SECOND TERM INFIGHTING COVID-19?
>> IT’S HIGHLY POLITICAL AND THE
DEMOCRATS ARE USING IT FOR
POLITICAL REASONS AND POLITICAL
PURPOSES.
AND IT SHOULDN’T BE.
THIS SHOULD BE A TEAM EFFORT.
BUT REGARDLESS, TO A CERTAIN
EXTENT, IT IS WHAT IT IS.
IT’S GOING TO BURN OUT.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE VACCINES.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE
THERAPEUTICS.
SOME OF THE THERAPEUTICS THAT WE
ARTY HAVE ARE REALLY WORKING
WELL, THE REMDESIVIR.
THE HARD PART IS GETTING SO MUCH
OF IT.
THE STEROID WORK.
AND I MEAN, I MUST TELL YOU, YOU
KNOW SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE
HAPPENING ARE INCREDIBLE.
THEY ARE SAVING A LOT OF LIVES.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE IN A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME, WE ARE GOING TO
