PROGRESS.

I HOPE.

FOLKS, MY NEXT GUEST TONIGHT IS THE CHIEF WHITE HOUSE

CORRESPONDENT FOR ABC NEWS, PRESIDENT OF THE WHITE HOUSE

CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION, AND HAS A BRAND-NEW BOOK CALLED,

"FRONT ROW AT THE TRUMP SHOW."

PLEASE WELCOME JONATHAN KARL!

HEY, JONATHAN, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

>> GREAT TO BE HERE.

I NEVER THOUGHT THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER WOULD BE LIKE THIS, BUT

IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.

>> Stephen: THE BEATLES PLAYED RIGHT UP HERE.

>> EXCELLENT.

>> Stephen: AND I THINK ELVIS PRESSLEY WAS IN ONE OF THESE

PIJION HOLES RIGHT HERE.

WHERE ARE WE CATCHING YOU?

ARE YOU AT HOME?

>> I AM AT HOME.

THIS IS THE HOME OFFICE.

WE ARE ALL WORKING AT HOME AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, WHEPT I

I HAVE TO GO TO THE WHITE HOUSE.

>> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THE EMMYS BEHIND YOU.

>> I JUST PICKED THEM UP.

>> Stephen: I WOULD HAVE PUT MINE UP, BUT WE DON'T HAVE

ENOUGH ROOM IN HERE.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: NOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE'S A

MEMBER OF THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION WHO

ACTUALLY HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS.

IS THAT TRUE?

AND HOW IS HE OR SHE DOING?

>> YEAH, WE FOUND OUT ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES NOT TESTED POSITIVE,

STEPHEN.

WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE TEST RESULTS YET, BUT CAME DOWN WITH

SYMPTOMS, IS A SUSPECTED CASE OF CORONAVIRUS, CAME DOWN WITH THIS

OVER A WEEK AGO.

ACTUALLY GOT TESTED EIGHT DAYS AGO, AND AS OF-- AS OF LATE

YESTERDAY, STILL HAD NOT GOTTEN ANY TEST RESULTS BACK.

SO WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT ALL OTHER TESTS HAVE COME BACK

NEGATIVE, AND IT SURE SEEMS LIKE OUR COLLEAGUE HAS CORONAVIRUS.

>> Stephen: THAT IS THAAD SEEMS REALLY SURPRISING THAT YOU

CAN'T GET A QUICKER TEST RESULT FOR SOMEONE WHO IS NOT ONLY IN

AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE, WHICH IS INFORMING THE PUBLIC ABOUT

WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT IS ALSO IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE

PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, AND MEMBERS OF THE CABINET.

DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHAT THE HOLD-UP IS?

>> IT'S REALLY UNBELIEVABLE AUTOMOBILE.3

AND I'VE BEEN TRYING-- I'VE BEEN ASKING EVERY SINGLE DAY ABOUT

THIS.

OBVIOUSLY, IT'S OF INTENSE INTEREST TO EVERYBODY WHO IS

THERE.

YOU MENTIONED THE PUBLIC OFFICIALS, BUT ALSO ALL OF US IN

THE BRIEFING ROOM, ALL OF US THAT WORK AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

THIS IS SOMETHING WE WORK IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO, AND WE

CANNOT GET AN ANSWER.

IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET THE TEST, AND I HAVE NO REAL EXPLANATION

FOR WHY.

BUT I'LL TELL YOU, IT IS A LITTLE MADDENING TO HEAR IN

THOSE BRIEFINGS A LOT OF SELF-CONGRATULATIONSES ABOUT HOW

GREAT THE TESTING IS GOING NOW WHEN WE KNOW THAT ONE OF OUR OWN

COLLEAGUES IS WAITING NOW OVER A WEEK TO GET TEST RESULTS.

>> Stephen: THESE AFTERNOON PRESS AVAILABILITIES WITH THE

PRESIDENT AND THE CORONAVIRUS TEAM, THAT THEY'RE DOOR, AS THE

PRESIDENT HIMSELF HAS SAID, HAVE HAD INCREDIBLE RATINGS, PEOPLE

ARE TUNING IN.

BUT THERE'S ALSO BEEN A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER IT'S RESPONSIBLE

TO BROADCAST OR TO REPORT ON THESE CORONAVIRUS PRESS

AVAILABILITIES BECAUSE SO MUCH MISINFORMATION IS BEING GIVEN BY

THE PRESIDENT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE PURPOSES OF THESE MEETINGS ARE?

>> WELL, I THINK THAT'S A LEGITIMATE DEBATE.

I THINK THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS: ONE, SHOULD WE COVER THEM?

SHOULD WE BE THERE?

SHOULD WE BE REPORTING ON IT?

I THINK THE ANSWER IS EASY, ABSOLUTELY, IT'S OUR

RESPONSIBILITY TO GO THERE, ASK QUESTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT, ASK

QUESTIONS OF THE PEOPLE LEADING THIS EFFORT FOR THE FEDERAL

GOVERNMENT.

BUT WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE CARRIED LIVE AND UNFILTERED I

THINK IS A LEGITIMATE DEBATE.

WHAT WE HAVE TRIED TO DO IS PROVIDE THE CONTEXT.

AND JUST THE OTHER DAY, THE PRESIDENT SAID A NUMBER OF

THINGS THAT ACTUALLY WERE NOT TRUE, AND I CAME ON WITH MY

COLLEAGUE, GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, RIGHT AFTER, AND

WE WENT THROUGH A SERIES OF, "WAIT A MINUTE, THAT'S NOT TRUE.

THAT'S NOT TRUE."

BUT THERE IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU GET FROM THEM.

THAT'S OUR CHANCE TO ANTHONY FAUCI, TO TALK TO VICE PRESIDENT

PENCE WHO IS LEADING THE EFFORT, DR. BIRKS.

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE IT'S TREASURY SECRETARY HAS BEEN IN THERE

SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO BE COVERING.

WHETHER OR NOT IT SHOULD BE CARRIED LIVE OR UNFILTERED I

THINK IS ACTUALLY A LEGITIMATE DEBATE.

>> Stephen: ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF COVERING THE

PRESIDENT IS NOT JUST THE MISINFORMATION THAT MIGHT COME

OUT AT ONE OF THESE PRESS AVAILABILITIES, BUT ALSO HE

WANTS TO MAKE IT ABOUT EXPHIMS WE MIGHT LOSE SIGHT OF THE

ACTUAL INFORMATION WE SHOULD BE LEARNING.

IT BECOMES VERY EMOTIONAL AND PERSONAL FOR HIM.

FOR INSTANCE, LAST FRIDAY YOU PRESSED HIM ON THE AVAILABILITY

OF VENTILATORS, I BELIEVE, AND HE SAID, "DON'T BE A CUTIE PIE."

AM I REPORTING THAT ACCURATELY?

>> YOU ARE.

>> Stephen: OKAY.

>> IT WAS-- IT WAS-- IT WAS TRULY THE STRANGEST MOMENT THAT

I'VE EXPERIENCED WITH A PRESIDENT AT A PRESS CONFERENCE

BECAUSE MY QUESTION-- MY EXACT QUESTION-- YOU KNOW, THIS WAS

AFTER GOVERNOR CUOMO SAID THAT NEW YORK WAS GOING TO NEED-- NEW

YORK ALONE WAS GOING TO NEED 30,000 TO 40,000 VENTILATORS IN

THE COMING WEEKS AND THEY WERE ONLY GETTING A MATTER OF A FEW

THOUSANDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND I ASKED HIM--

AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE EFFORTS THEY WERE DOING TO

GET MORE VENTILATORS INTO PRODUCTION, TO FORCE G.M. TO DO

IT AND ALL THAT.

MY QUESTION WAS SIMPLY, "CAN YOU ASSURE US THAT THE GOVERNORS AND

HOSPITALS WILL BE ABLE TO GET ENOUGH VENTILATORS SO THAT

EVERYBODY THAT NEEDS ONE WILL HAVE ONE?"

AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE CENTRAL QUESTION, YOU KNOW, THIS

WAS NOT-- AND HE DID NOT LIKE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR IT.

AND THAT'S WHEN HE SAID, "DON'T BE A CUTIE PIE."

I DON'T EVEN KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANS.

HE ALSO TOLD ME IN THE SAME SENTENCE THAT I WAS BEING A WISE

GUY, SO I DON'T KNOW.

IT WAS WEIRD.

>> Stephen: JONATHAN, DO YOU THINK YOU BEAR ANY

RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEING A CUTIE PIE?

BECAUSE YOU ARE OBJECTIVELY A CUTIE PIE.

>> --I-- I-- I DON'T THINK SO.

>> Stephen: I REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE ONE OF THE YOUNG GUNS

AT CNN.

>> YEAH, I-- I-- THIS HAS NOT BEEN MY ASPIRATION, NO, NO.

>> Stephen: OKAY.

WELL, YOU HAVE A NEW BOOK.

DO YOU HAVE A COPY OF IT?

BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A COPY OF IT HERE.

DO YOU HAVE-- >> I ACTUALLY DO, FUNNY THING,

RIGHT HERE.

>> Stephen: THERE YOU GO.

"FRONT ROW AT THE TRUMP SHOW" ABOUT YOUR FOUR YEARS OF

COVERING TRUMP SO FAR, IS IT?

>> IT'S 26 YEARS, STEPHEN, 26 YEARS.

>> Stephen: THAT'S RIGHT.

BECAUSE YOU WERE IN A REPORTER FOR THE "NEW YORK POST."

>> YES.

>> Stephen: IS THERE ANYTHING THAT TRUMP HAS DONE AS PRESIDENT

THAT SURPRISED YOU BASED UPON YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF BOTH HIS

BEHAVIOR AND HIS CHARACTER FROM ALL THE YEARS YOU COVERED HIM IN

NEW YORK?

>> HE'S INCREDIBLY ERRATIC.

HE'S INCREDIBLY UNPREDICTABLE.

HE GOVERNS BY GUT, JUST LIKE HE ACTED AS A REAL ESTATE

DEVELOPER.

BUT, ACTUALLY, I THINK HE HAS BEEN ULTIMATELY ENTIRELY

PREDICTABLE IN THAT UNPREDICTABILITY.

BUT THERE IS-- THERE WAS ONE MOMENT THAT WAS REALLY

SURPRISING TO ME.

I HAPPENED TO BE IN THE OVAL OFFICE THE DAY THAT HE MET-- THE

DAY THAT HE MET BARACK OBAMA FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS WAS TWO DAYS

AFTER THE ELECTION IN 2016, AND IF YOU REMEMBER, IT WAS A MEET

THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, LIKE, 20 MINUTES.

AND THEY ENDED UP MEETING FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR.

>> Stephen: I.

>> I WENT WITH A-- WITH A SMALL GROUP OF REPORTERS, CALLED THE

PRESS POOL, INTO THE OVAL OFFICE.

AT THE END OF THAT MEET AGO I STILL HAVE THESE PICTURES AND I

TOOK VIDEO ON MY PHONE AS I WAS COMING IN, AND TRUMP FOR THE

FIRST TIME ACTUALLY SEEMED HUMBLED TO ME AND A LITTLE BIT--

I GOT THE IMPRESSION-- FIRST OF ALL, I NEVER THOUGHT HE THOUGHT

HE WAS GOING TO WIN THAT ELECTION.

AND HERE HE WAS IN THE OVAL OFFICE FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH

BARACK OBAMA HEARING ABOUT ALL THE PRESSING ISSUES HE WAS GOING

TO INHERIT AND HAVE TO DEAL WITH.

AND OBAMA WAS LEADING THE MEET AGO I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A ROOM

WHERE DONALD TRUMP WASN'T LEADING THE CONVERSATION-- AND

HE SEEMED A LITTLE BIT BLOWN AWAY.

HE SAID SOME NICE THINGS ABOUT OBAMA, WHICH WAS ALSO

SURPRISING.

AND I THOUGHT, WOW, MAYBE THIS CHANGED THE GUY.

AND THAT WAS THE LAST I SAW OF IT.

>> Stephen: I KNOW WE'VE GOT TO GO.

WHAT'S YOUR FIRST QUESTION FOR TOMORROW'S BRIEFING?

>> WELL, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REPORTS THAT THE C.D.C. IS

CONSIDERING RECOMMENDING THAT PEOPLE WEAR FACE MASKS WHEN THEY

GO OUT IN PUBLIC, AND I WANT TO GET-- I WANT TO SEE IF THAT'S

TRUE, IF THERE'S ANYTHING TO THAT.

AND IF THAT WOULD REALLY BE A RECOMMENDATION, WHERE THE HELL--

WHERE THE FACE MAFNGS WOULD COME FROM.

THAT'S-- I TRY TO IN THE BRIEFINGS TRY TO FOCUS ON WHAT

IS HAPPENING NOW, MUCH LESS THE POLITICS OF IT.

PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS DOING,

WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DOING, AND WHAT THEY

SHOULD BE DOING IN THE FACE OF THIS CRISIS.

>> Stephen: WELL, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, JONATHAN.

AND CONGRATULATIONS, THE BOOK IS NUMBER ONE ON AMAZON RIGHT NOW.

>> THANK YOU.

I HOPE YOU ENJOY READING IT AS MUCH AS I-- I REALLY LOVED

WRITING IT.

>> Stephen: I REALLY HAVE ENJOYED READING YOUR TITLE WHEN

YOU HELD UP THE BOOK IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA.

>> BY THE WAY, THIS IS THE BOOK, IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING.

>> Stephen: THERE IT IS, THERE IT IS.

"FRONT ROW FOR THE TRUMP SHOW."

JONATHAN KARL, EVERYBODY.

WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'LL BE GIVING A LITTLE MESSAGE TO OUR

DEAR FRIEND JOHN PRINE.