>>> NOW TO OUR SPECIAL REPORT TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC IS
UPENDING OUR LIVES IN WAYS MANY
PEOPLE COULD NOT HAVE IMAGINED.
WORK AND SOCIALIZING CONFINED TO
HOMES.
HOMES. MOST LOCKNG-TERM PLANS CANCELED.
SOME IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
SEEM CAUGHT OFFGUARD, THIS VERY
PROBLEM IS SOMETHING SOME
LEADERS DID WARN ABOUT.
ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST
ACCOMPLISHED INNOVATORS TOOK TO
A PUBLIC STAGE FIVE YEARS AGO,
WARNING ABOUT PANDEMICS.
IT ALL SOUNDS QUITE PRESSURE
YENT NOW TO HEAR BILL GATES’
ADVICE THEN.
ADVICE THEN. >> IF ANYTHING KILLS OVER 10
MILLION PEOPLE IN THE NEXT FEW
DECADES, IT’S MOST LIKELY TO BE
A HIGHLY INFECTIOUS VIRUS RATHER
THAN A WAR.
WE’VE INVESTED A HUGE AMOUNT IN
NUCLEAR DETERMRENTS BUT WE’VE
ACTUALLY INVESTED VERY LITTLE IN
A SYSTEM TO STOP AN EPIDEMIC.
WE’RE NOT READY FOR THE NEXT
EPIDEMIC.
EPIDEMIC. >> THAT WAS 2015.
GATES GOING PUBLIC WITH THE
EVIDENCE SHOWING THE U.S. WAS
NOT READY FOR THIS KIND OF
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. SO, AS PART OF OUR ONGOING
SPECIAL COVERAGE, RIGHT NOW, WE
TURN TO OUR REPORT ON THESE
WARNINGS, WHAT THEY REVEAL ABOUT
THE U.S. RESPONSE TODAY AND MORE
CRITICALLY, HOW THEY CAN INFORM
OUR APPROACH IN THE FUTURE AND
POTENTIALLY SAVE LIVES.
YOU KNOW, OF ALL THE EXPERTS OUT
THERE IN AREAS RANGING FROM
MEDICINE TO DISASTER PREP, BILL
GATES EXCELLED IN COMPUTER
INNOVATION, WHICH REQUIRES SS
ORIGINAL THINKING, BUSINESS,
WHICH EXCELS ON RUTHLESS
EXECUTION AND THEN HIS CURRENT
CHAPTER, PUBLIC HEALTH
PHILANTHROPY, WHERE HE TAKES ON
ALL KINDS OF MEDICAL CHALLENGES
AROUND THE WORLD WITH BOTH HIS
SKILLS AND HIS MONEY.
GATES BECAME THE RICHEST PERSON
IN THE WORLD BY LEADING A TECH
REVOLUTION AND HE BECAME
INCREASINGLY FAMOUS AS A NERD
WITH A CAN-DO SPIRIT.
HERE HE WAS WITH DAVID LETTERMAN
IN 1995, SPORTING A HARD HAT AND
LAB COAT.
LAB COAT. >> WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT
YOU’VE DESIGNED FOR THE HOUSE
THAT REALLY YOU’RE VERY EXCITED
ABOUT?
ABOUT? >> WELL, I’VE GOT A TRAMPOLINE
ROOM THAT I CAN GO AND USE.
>> A TRAMPOLINE ROOM?
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
>> THIS IS AN ACTUAL TRAMPOLINE
OR A COMPUTER?
>> NONVIR CHUM.
>> TRAMPOLINES ARE NOT THE ITEM
MANY BILLIONAIRES BRAG ABOUT
BUYING, BUT GATES ISN’T THE
TYPICAL BILLIONAIRE AND HE’S
DIFFERENT IN WAYS THAT ARE
ESPECIALLY RELEVANT NOW.
TAKE HIS INTELLECTUAL HUNGER.
HE ONCE RECOUNTED HOW HE
VACATIONED ONLY ABOUT ONCE A
YEAR AND USED THAT TIME TO DIG
INTO OBSCURE ACADEMIC RESEARCH.
>> LIKE MOST OF US, BILL SAYS
THAT HE ESCAPES THE OFFICE ABOUT
ONCE A YEAR.
BUT THAT’S WHERE THE
SIMILARITIES END.
SIMILARITIES END. >> I SPEND AT LEAST A WEEK A
YEAR WHERE I GO OFF AND JUST
READ PEOPLE’S Ph.D THESES.
>> YOU HAVE TO READ THOSE.
THIS IS ONE REASON THAT GATES
HAS SEEN AROUND SO MANY CORNERS.
HE READS AHEAD INTO THE
RESEARCH, TO SEE WHERE THINGS
MIGHT GO.
MIGHT GO. AND NOW THAT HE DID PHILANTHROPY
FULL TIME, HE’S BEEN DEPLOYING
HIS MONEY TO PRESS CHALLENGES
THAT SOME GOVERNMENTS DON’T GET
AROUND TO TACKLING.
THE GATES FOUNDATION PRESENTS
IDEAS, PAPERS AND MONEY, AS YOU
HAVE PROBABLY SEEN, TO
GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD.
AND GATES HAS HAD HIS OWN
RUN-INS WITH DONALD TRUMP.
AT ONE FOUNDATION MEETING, GATES
RECOUNTED A CLASSIC STORY WHERE
TRUMP WAS ATTENDING A HORSE SHOW
IN FLORIDA.
IN FLORIDA. GATES’ DAUGHTER WAS THERE, TOO.
AND SHE NOTICED THAT TRUMP TOOK
AN EXTRA CAR RIDE TO LEAVE THE
AREA SO HE COULD MAKE ONE OF HIS
SPECIAL HELICOPTER ENTRANCES AT
THE EVENT.
THE EVENT. THIS IS FOOTAGE MSNBC’S CHRIS
HAYES FIRST REPORTED.
>> 20 MINUTES LATER, HE FLEW IN
IN A HELICOPTER TO THE SAME
PLACE, SO, CLEARLY, HE HAD BEEN
DRIVEN AWAY AND HE WANTED TO
MAKE A GRAND ENTRANCE IN A
HELICOPTER.
HELICOPTER. >> NOW, WHATEVER GATES THOUGHT
OF DONALD TRUMP’S ATTEMPTS TO
IMPRESS, BILL GATES STILL TOOK
THE OPPORTUNITIES, CONTROVERSIAL
OR NOT, TO ADVOCATE PANDEMIC
POLICY WITH DONALD TRUMP.
HERE THEY WERE AT TRUMP UP TOER
RIGHT AFTER TRUMP’S ELECTION IN
DECEMBER 2016.
DECEMBER 2016. GATES EXPLAINING HE WAS PUSHING
SCIENCE AND HEALTH POLICIES AT
THAT VERY MEETING.
>> I SAW HIM IN TRUMP TOWER AND
I SAID HEY, SCIENCE AND
INNOVATION IS A GREAT THING.
YOU SHOULD BE THE LEADER WHO
DRIVES INNOVATION.
DRIVES INNOVATION. AND THAT CONVERSATION WAS ABOUT
A BROAD SET OF THINGS, IN
ENERGY, IN HEALTH, IN EDUCATION.
>> PEOPLE HAVE ALL KINDS OF
IDEAS.
IDEAS. FEW GET A PRIVATE AUDIENCE WITH
THE PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT. WHILE BILL GATES IS NOT TELLING
EVERYONE I TOLD YOU SO, THE
EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT IN MANY WAYS
HE DID.
HE DID. LISTEN TO HIS PRESSIENT WARNINGS
FROM 2015.
FROM 2015. >> WE NEED TO GET GOING, BECAUSE
TIME IS NOT ON OUR SIDE.
IN FACT, IF THERE IS ONE
POSITIVE THING THAT CAN COME OUT
OF THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC, IT’S THAT
IT CAN SERVE AS AN EARLY
WARNING, A WAKEUP CALL TO GET
READY.
READY. IF WE START NOW, WE CAN BE READY
FOR THE NEXT EPIDEMIC.
>> IT WAS TIME TO GET READY.
MANY GOVERNMENTS DIDN’T LISTEN
OR DIDN’T WANT TO SPEND THE
MONEY.
MONEY. GATES SPECIFICALLY OUTLINING THE
TYPE OF VIRUS THAT WOULD BE MOST
INFECTIOUS.
INFECTIOUS. NOTICE HOW IT PREDICTS PARTS OF
COVID TRANSMISSION.
COVID TRANSMISSION. >> YOU CAN HAVE A VIRUS WHERE
PEOPLE FEEL WELL ENOUGH WHILE
THEY’RE INFECTIOUS THAT THEY GET
ON A PLANE OR GO TO A MARKET.
>> YOU YOURSELF CAN BE CARRYING
IT AND YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW IT.
IT WOULD BE THE WORST THING IN
THE WORLD TO GO TO CHURCH TO
WORSHIP AND SIT NEXT TO SOMEONE
AND INFECT THEM.
>> THAT WAS CRUCIAL KNOWLEDGE.
REGARDLESS OF THE SAYING THAT
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, KNOWLEDGE
ACTUALLY IS NOT ALWAYS POWER.
IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT PEOPLE
DO WITH KNOWLEDGE.
GATES TOOK HIS KNOWLEDGE AND
WENT BACK TO MEET WITH DONALD
TRUMP AGAIN, IN 2018.
HE ADVOCATED THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION GET SERIOUS AND
BACK A UNIVERSAL FLU VACCINE,
SAYING A UNIVERSAL FLU VACCINE
COULD BE ENERGIZED BY YOU, MR.
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. WHAT A GREAT LEGACY.
GATES LATER SAID TRUMP SOUNDED
INTERESTED BUT THERE WASN’T MUCH
PROGRESS.
PROGRESS. WE CAN TELL YOU BY SEPTEMBER OF
LAST YEAR, TRUMP SIGNED AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT CREATED A
FLU VACCINE TASK FORCE HEAD BY
SOMEONE ALREADY ON THE JOB, AND
THAT EFFORT DIDN’T COME WITH ANY
LEGISLATION, LET ALONE ANY NEW
MONEY TO PREPARE FOR PANDEMICS.
GATES SAYS TRUMP OFFERED HIM A
POSSIBLE ROLE AS A SCIENCE
ADVISER, SOMETHING GATES
DECLINED, IN FAVOR OF JUST
OFFERING THE SCIENCE ADVICE
PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY WE’RE
TELLING YOU ABOUT.
THE GOVERNMENT CAN TAKE IT OR
LEAVE IT.
LEAVE IT. THIS IS GATES’ EXACT ROLE TODAY.
AND HE’S SPEAKING OUT AGAIN NOW
WITH ADVICE FOR ANYONE WHO IS
LISTENING, INCLUDING REBUTTING
SOME OF THE NEWEST CLAIMS BY
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. >> IT’S VERY IRRESPONSIBLE FOR
SOMEBODY TO SUGGEST WE CAN HAVE
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.
WHAT WE NEED IS THE EXTREME
SHUTDOWN TO -- SO THAT IN SIX TO
TEN WEEKS, IF THINGS GO WELL,
THEN YOU CAN START OPENING BACK
UP.
UP. IT’S VERY TOUGH TO SAY TO PEOPLE
HEY, KEEP GOING TO RESTAURANTS,
YOU KNOW, GO BUY NEW HOUSES.
IGNORE THAT PILE OF BODIES OVER
IN THE CORNER, JUST WE WANT YOU
TO KEEP SPENDING, BECAUSE
THERE’S SOME -- MAYBE A
POLITICIAN WHO THINKS GDP GROWTH
IS WHAT REALLY COUNTS.
>> THAT WAS A STARK WAY TO PUT
IT.
IT. HE WAS STAYING AS THE BODY COUNT
ROSE.
ROSE. BUT BEFORE VIDEOS AND PICTURES
LIKE THIS WENT VIRILE, THEAL, IN
AMERICA, A COUNTRY REDUCED TO
SCENES LIKE THIS.
SINCE GATES’ EXPERTISE STANDS AT
THE ENTER -- INTERSECTION, WHILE
THE ECONOMIC TOLL IS SEVERE,
THAT COMES SECOND TO THE
CHALLENGE THAT CANNOT BE
REVERSED.
REVERSED. THIS VIRUS CONTINUING TO KILL SO
MANY PEOPLE.
MANY PEOPLE. >> IT IS REALLY TRAGIC THAT THE
ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THIS ARE
VERY DRAMATIC.
VERY DRAMATIC. I MEAN, NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS
EVER HAPPENED TO THE ECONOMY IN
OUR LIFETIMES.
OUR LIFETIMES. BUT MONEY, THAT’S MORE OF A
REVERSIBLE THING THAN BRINGING
PEOPLE BACK TO LIFE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. YOU KNOW, THAT IS A FUNDAMENTAL
PIECE OF WISDOM FROM A VERY RICH
MAN.
MAN. YOUR LIFE IS WORTH MORE THAN ALL
THE MONEY IN THE WORLD.
IT ECHOES SOMETHING THAT MANY
ALREADY HAVE ADMIRED ABOUT BILL
GATES, THAT HE EMBODIES SUCCESS
WITHOUT FLAUNTING IT.
AS THE GREAT ANDRE BENJAMIN ONCE
PUT IT, BILL GATES DON’T DANGLE
DIAMONDS IN THE FACE OF ME
SABLTSSABLT
SABLTSSABLT S
S -- PEASANTS WHEN HE’S
MICROSOFTENING THE PLACE.
CONSIDER YOUR SURROUNDINGS.
REAL STRENGTH DOESN’T NEED TO
FLAUNT ITSELF.
FLAUNT ITSELF. CONSIDERING YOUR SURROUNDING IS
CRUCIAL FOR STAYING ALIVE.
THAT APPLIES TO STAYING SAFE
RIGHT NOW, AS WELL AS FOR
PREPARING FOR NEXT PANDEMIC.
AS GATES EXPLAINED BACK IN 2015,
AS HE WOULD LATER TRY TO WARN
PRESIDENT TRUMP, THE MEDICAL
SCIENCE SHOWS A PATH FOR WHAT WE
ALL NEED TO DO.
WITH THAT IN MIND, TONIGHT BILL
GATES GETS THE FINAL WORD.
>> THE PROBLEM WAS, WE DIDN’T
HAVE A SYSTEM AT ALL.
IN FACT, THERE’S SOME PRETTY
OBVIOUS KEY MISSING PIECES.
WE DIDN’T HAVE A GROUP OF
EPIDEMIOLOGISTS READY TO GO.
A LARGE EPIDEMIC WOULD REQUIRE
US TO HAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF WORKERS.
OF WORKERS. THE FAILURE TO PREPARE COULD
ALLOW THE NEXT EPIDEMIC TO BE
DRAMATICALLY MORE DEVASTATING
THAN EBOLA.
THAN EBOLA. IT DIDN’T GET INTO MANY URBAN
AREAS, AND THAT WAS JUST LUCK.
THE NEXT TIME WE MIGHT NOT BE SO
LUCKY.
LUCKY. IT WOULD SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE
WORLD VERY, VERY QUICKLY.