The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Coronavirus Updates - Campus Outbreaks, Rushed Vaccine Concerns & Proof Trump Downplayed the Threat

Episode Date: September 12, 2020

Colleges become COVID-19 hotspots, Americans worry about a rushed vaccine, and President Trump admits to downplaying the pandemic threat during interviews with Bob Woodward. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17th. The United States has had more than 6.3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19.

And while transmission rates have declined from their peak in July, there are still new hotspots popping up all over the country. Most recently, on newly reopened college campuses. Across the country, more universities temporarily switching to virtual learning, with only some students staying on campus, as college towns around the country are quickly becoming epicenters for the virus. In Georgia, Mississippi and Utah, thousands of students and hundreds of teachers have recently been asked to quarantine. Many universities are taking drastic action to ensure that students, teachers, and staff that they're safe all along the way. And one of the

harshest punishments imposed to date, 11 first-year students at Boston's Northeastern University were dismissed and declined a refund for their $36,000 plus dollar tuition after crowding together in a hotel room. That's right. Some schools are kicking out students for partying, but keeping their tuition, which is insane. I mean, if you waste 36 grand on college, you should at least leave with a communications degree. And I do hope colleges get all these outbreaks under control soon, because going to college remotely

is just not the same. There's so many things about the college experience that only work if you're there in person. I mean, imagine trying to do a fret hazing on Zoom. Now grab your bottle of hot sauce from your fridge and chug it! Oh, I don't have hot sauce, but I have apricot, LeCroy. I can chug that. Yeah, you damn right, you'll chug it.

Get ready to fill refreshed, bitch. Anyway, if you're a high school senior right now, there is only one thin thin thin to colleges. Find out which schools avoided coronavirus outbreaks and do not apply there. Most people do not know how to party. So this is just one more reason that we really can't have a vaccine soon enough. But another problem is that we also can't get one too soon. The latest CBS News poll finds the majority of Americans are skeptical about a vaccine. 65% say if one became available this year, they'd consider it rushed. And 58% say they would consider getting one, but wait to see what happens.

Pamela Harris was asked if she would trust a Trump administration vaccine. It would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever he's talking about. I will not take his word for it. He wants us to inject bleach. No, I will not take his word. Look, I get why people are skeptical. There are a lot of things where I'll take Trump's recommendation. How to write an NDA, how to do the smooth criminal leave, whether a set of stairs are too slippery, but vaccines is not one of his areas of expertise.

Like you don't want Trump involved in this deal. It's like going on Shark Tank and getting an offer from Robert. Yeah, you're just going to be like any other offers? Mark? Mark, Lori? You know what, I'm good, guys. I'm just gonna go bankrupt. Thanks, thanks though, Robert, thanks for that. Either way, it's cute how people think it'll be up to them, whether they get Trump's vaccine. Guys, it's gonna be up to Trump. And knowing him, he's gonna turn it into a quid pro quo. I'll give you one shot for one piece of dirt on Joe Biden. What do you say? What do you say?

And let's be honest. This skepticism isn't just coming out of no way. President Trump has given people pretty good reasons to think that his timeline might not be based strictly on the science. During a Labor Day news conference that sounded more like a rally from the White House grounds, President Trump was all but giving away his own October surprise, suggesting there will be a coronavirus vaccine ready by Election Day. You could have a very big surprise coming up. So we're going to have a vaccine very soon, maybe even before a very special date.

You know what date I'm talking about? Why is he talking about election day like it's a weird sex innuendo? You know what date I'm talking about? Gonna stick your big, hard vote in that ballot box. Just put it right in. I mean, obviously we know what date he's talking about. What other date would Trump possibly remember besides Election Day? His kids' birthdays, his anniversary, a date from a history book?

Trick question. He doesn't know any of those things. But this is why people are skeptical. Trump keeps talking about this vaccine as if the goal is to get it out before election day. And any normal president would at least pretend that the vaccine will be released based on science. But Trump doesn't even pretend. Guys got the worst poker face in the world, which is why he would probably be the best and worst person to play poker with. Yeah, you'd always know when he was bluffing, so you'd probably beat him. But then there'd also be no point because he'd never pay up.

Not to mention he'd draw boobs on all the queen cards. So with Trump making everybody nervous, the companies competing to make the shit down. A major development in the race to produce a coronavirus vaccine and something very unprecedented, some of the country's most well-known drug makers, now presenting a united front, saying they will not rush out a vaccine without proper testing and approval.

These are some of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. They are typically fierce competitors, but they are coming together with what they have called a historic pledge to to to to to to to to to to to to to to toe. They are typically fierce competitors, but they are coming together with what they have called a historic pledge to try to shore up public confidence in a possible COVID-19 vaccine. The CEOs of nine pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, say they will commit to high ethical standards and sound scientific principles as they work toward developing a vaccine. The statement includes a pledge to always make the safety and well-being of vaccinated individuals our top priority. Yes, people are so skeptical about this vaccine that the drug companies had to come out and pledge that they're not going to rush things.

That's how bad Trump is. He's managed to make big farmer turn into the good guys. And that's saying something. I mean, Johnson and Johnson and Johnson Johnson sold sold sold sold sold sold ss ss ssen sold sold sold ssen sold sselseseseseseseseseseseseseseseluclucluclucluceolk. their their their to to to to to their to to to to to to to to told told to make big farmer turn into the good guys. And that's saying something. I mean, Johnson and Johnson sold telcom powder that gave people cancer. AstraZeneca and Merck had to settle fraud claims by Medicare and Medicaid. Sinoffi overcharged the veteran affairs department. GlaxoSmithKline hid safety data from the FDA. Pfizer has that unnecessary P in it. I mean, that's unethical as shit. If I see a P followed by an F, that better be followed by a Changs, otherwise I'm out. The point is, it is so

important for people to trust that any vaccine that comes out is safe and effective before it is distributed. Because if a government rushes one out for political purposes, you get, well, something like what's happening in Russia right now. Russia's health Ministry says the first batch of its so-called Sputnik 5 coronavirus vaccine has been produced for use in the general population. Health officials outside Russia, however, have raised concerns that the shot was approved even before clinical testing had finished last week. It's still unproven. It still hasn't finished human trials, and as we found, it's still widely distrusted. It's been made available to key frontline workers

like doctors and teachers, but few, if any, of those Russian teachers have actually taken up the vaccination offer. Today, it is obvious for our scientists, that this vaccine forms stable immune resistance. Antibodies appear in the blood, just like in the case of my daughter. And it is harmless. My daughter feels well.

Yeah, guys, of course, Putin's daughter feels well. She knows the consequences if she doesn't. Maybe we don't need a vaccine at all. We just need Putin to go around issuing veiled threats to anyone who thinks they've got COVID. So do you have Corona? No, I feel great, Mr. President. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it.

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Now you might remember, back in February and March, Donald Trump was very confidently saying that the coronavirus was not a big deal and it was basically just like the flu. But since then, we've all learned that that was bullshit. Well, today it's come out that Trump privately knew that it was bullshit. Well, today it's come out that Trump privately knew that it was bullshit. Stunning, breaking news. President Trump, in his own words, making clear he knew about the dire threat of the coronavirus very early on. At a time he repeatedly told the American people they were safe. He deliberately withheld information from the American people, repeatedly concealed details about the gravity of this threatreat threat, th, because, because, because, because, because, because, because threat threat, because threat threat, because threat threat, because threat threat, because threat, because threat, because threat, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, they were safe. He deliberately withheld information from the American people, repeatedly concealed details about the gravity of this threat because, in his words, he didn't want to create a panic. It's a very tricky situation.

It's, uh, it goes through air, Bob. That's always tougher than the touch. You know, the touch, you don't have totouch you don't have to touch things, right? But the air, you just breathe the air, that's how it's passed. It's also more deadly than your, you know, you're even your strenuous flus. This is five per, you know, this is five percent versus one percent and less than one percent, you know, so this is deadly stuff. I think Bob really, to be honest with you, Sure, I want you to be. I wanted to, I wanted to always play it down.

I still like playing it down. Yes, sir. Because I don't want to create a panic. You didn't want to create a panic? You didn't want to create a panic? So what did you want for people to very calmly be dying in the streets? What's wrong, buddy? I'm dying. But it's chill. And also, since when is Donald J. Trump concerned about creating a panic? That is literally his favorite thing. Cities are burning, suburbs are collapsing.

Caravans of Antifa Mexicans are committing Muslim voter fraud? His campaign slogan is basically, look out behind you. But, yes. collapsing, caravans of Antifa Mexicans are committing Muslim voter fraud. His campaign slogan is basically, look out behind you. But yes, thanks to audiotapes of interviews Trump did with Bob Woodward back in February and March, we now know that he was fully aware of how the virus was transmitted and how deadly it could be. And yet, in public, he told everyone there was no reason to be afraid. And look, I get that as a leader you don't want people to panic.

But you also want to inform the people so that they can be safe. You know, if a plane is crashing, a pilot will tell you to remain calm, but they'll also tell you to fasten your seatbelts and to brace for impact. was a pilot he'd be like, Attention all passengers, everything's fine. Street belts are for snowflakes. And if you want to stretch your legs, now's the perfect time. Bye-bye. Right now, pharmaceutical companies around the world

are racing to develop a vaccine for coronavirus that can save countless lives and give us the freedom to freely lick park benches once again. But one major vaccine trial has just hit a major snag. Breaking news overnight, a setback in the race for a coronavirus vaccine. Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca pausing phase three of its global trials because of an unexplained illness in one of its volunteers. The company now has to determine whether its vaccine

might cause widespread adverse reactions. You see? This is why we need vaccine trials in the first place. Because right now, one person in that trial has an unexplained illness, possibly from the prototype vaccine. But you realize if they just released this thing to the public without proper testing, we could all be out in the prototype vaccine. But you realize if they just released this thing to the public without proper testing,

we could all be out in the streets with random diseases and mutations. I mean, on the bright side, maybe some of us would develop that fireproof skin, but still. Now, the scientists still don't know yet whether the illness is related to the vaccine or not. But I think I know what happened. I think what happened was coronavirus got to the vaccine and said, look, man, whatever the humans are paying you, I'll pay double. And now we've got to find a vaccine for the vaccine. Yeah, I read Facebook. I know what's going on.

But let me just say that I'm incredibly grateful for all of these people who are injecting themselves with a vaccine without knowing whether it's safe, because they're doing it for the rest of us. And in a way, I know how this feels. You know, it's the same way my family would make me drink the milk in the fridge to see whether or not it had gone bad. Spoiler alert, it was always bad. But until the vaccines are available, we just have to keep wearing masks and socially as much as we can. Which is why in the UK, they've now decided that it's time for the British

to party a little less hard. As Europe struggles with the surge in new coronavirus cases, the UK tightening restrictions. The government says social gatherings can include no more than six people instead of the previous 30 allowed. In England from Monday, we're introducing the rule of six. You must not meet socially in groups of more than six, and if you do, you will be breaking the law. Yes, starting Monday in the UK, no more than six people can socialize at a time.

Six. It's a very specific number. It almost makes me think that Boris Johnson has a seventh friend, that he's trying to kick out of the circle of friends. I don't understand, Boris. Why can't I hang out with the gang? Well, you see, there were already six of us here, and scientists say that seven is COVID's favorite number.

Well, what if I came early? Then I would just be the third person. Oh no you you'll always be the seventh person no matter what time you arrive. But look these restrictions are better late than never because man those Brits can party hard. As someone who has spent quarantine binging all of the great British bakeoff I'm telling you now those people are out of control. They put cocaine on everything. Here's what I don't get though. Now Corona isn't just just canceling parties for the living, because in Los Angeles even ghosts and goblins are now being told to stay safe. No trick-or-treating. That's what health officials in Los Angeles County are saying this morning. The Department of

Public Health Air is saying door-to-door for candy is just too risky this Halloween. They say it poses a higher risk for spreading coronavirus. Halloween is still more than a month away, but the department is hoping that this will give people enough time to find other ways to celebrate the holiday. They're encouraging online parties and contests and maybe some drive-through activities. Oh, are you serious?

Trick or treating is cancelled? This is awful! So what? I'm going to have to mail all the kids in my neighborhood razor blades? Ugh! And I'm going to be honest, guys. I don't know if this is going to work. First of all, I don't think nine-year-olds should be driving. That's just me.

Okay, and secondly, no drive-through experience ever ends the way than than'd like a full-size snickers, please. Okay, one bag of pennies, is that all? Uh, not pennies, candy bars. Okay, that's a large bag of rusty old pennies. Pull up to the next window, please. The Daily Show with Kreverno Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11th, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central Act. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central Podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives.

But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look. Starting September 17th. Wherever you get your podcasts.