The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Trevor Interviews Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms About Georgia's Reopening

Episode Date: April 28, 2020

President Trump suggests injected disinfectants can fight COVID-19, Roy Wood Jr. gets do-it-yourself haircut tips, and Trevor interviews Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Learn more about your ad-c...hoices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 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,
Starting point is 00:00:27 listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts. Hey everybody, what's going on? Welcome to another episode of the Daily Social Distancing Show. I'm Trevor Noah, and today is officially day 42. Day 42 of us staying inside to try and prevent the spread of coronavirus. And here's your quarantine tip of the day. If you're feeling lonely right now, and maybe you're starved for conversation, now's a good time to finally answer those spam calls that you've been ignoring for years.
Starting point is 00:00:59 Hello? My credit card was hacked. Yeah, I'll give you my social security number. But first, I've got to tell you about what happened this weekend. So remember how Sarah said she was never going to call me again? Well, it turns out that Corona... Hello? Anyway, on tonight's episode, we learn why men can't be trusted with grocery shopping. Roywood Jr. Brows the barber shop experience home home and President Trump gets medical advice from Mr. Clean. So let's get into it.
Starting point is 00:01:27 Welcome to the Daily Social Distancing Show. From Trevor's Couch in New York City to your couch somewhere in the world. This is the Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noa. Ears Edition. Watching the news every day can sometimes feel like hanging out in a public bathroom. It's dark, it's scary and it's really really. And. to. to. to. to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the news every day can sometimes feel like hanging out in a public bathroom. It's dark, it's scary, and it's really hazardous to your health. So it's always good for us to get some fresh air with a little ray of sunshine. All right, first up, in various cities around the world, people trapped in their homes,
Starting point is 00:02:04 have been leading out of their windows every single night to applaud health care workers for fighting non-stop to keep people alive. But in London, one man trying to raise funds to fight coronavirus has decided to take things to the next level. And he clapped in his home for 24 hours straight. Which is insane. 24 hours of clapping. I mean, I get tired just clapping for an encore.
Starting point is 00:02:31 All right, I've clapped for 10 seconds. Either come out or don't. I'm tired now. My question is, if you're going to clap for 24 hours, what type of clap do you even use? Do you use the Wimbledon clap, Pelosi clap? The inspirational clap at the end of the movie? You know, where the bobsled team loses really bad, but we're proud of them because they're black.
Starting point is 00:02:51 And remember, you've got to keep your energy up the entire time. Because if you get tired and you lose form, now it just looks sarcastic. Oh, great job, we're so proud of you. No, no, I'm just tired. Now, you might think that I'm overthinking things, but check out this video of Prince Charles and Camilla also clapping for health care workers, and it is not going well. thear, thee. Okay, I feel like Harry and Megan saw that video,
Starting point is 00:03:22 and they left the family all over again. Seriously, why did it look so awkward? It looked like this is the first time they have ever clapped in their lives. Is this supposed to hurt this much? The only thing I've ever touched is tea cups. Oh, ow. Oh, oh. I will say though, as hilarious as this was for us, this is probably what normal people people look look like look like look like look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look look to to to to to to to to to to to to to the royal family when we're trying to figure out what fork to use. And finally, as shutdowns have, well, shut down our lives, people are finding innovative ways to keep their old traditions going, from online funerals to online bridal showers and even to the world's first virtual brisk. Yeah, turns out it's really hard to circumcise a baby when you're not in the same states as them.
Starting point is 00:04:05 Well now, high schoolers have jumped in and they're adapting prom season to the age of corona. In a normal year, teenagers around the country would be getting ready for high school prom. But there's no prom to be had this year. However, some families are coming up with some creative ways to keep this right of passage alive. Some seniors are still dressing up. to to thuuuuuuuuu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thoom. thoom. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. th. th. th. th. th. th. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. te. te. te. te. te. te. tea. tea. tea. tea. teau. teau. teau. teau. teau. tomea. tea. t keep this right of passage alive. Some seniors are still dressing up. Local photographers are capturing students and their formal wear to mark the occasion. Dyer County High School held a virtual prom for students on Zoom over the weekend. Formal wear was not required. One of the faculty members acted as the prom toe.
Starting point is 00:04:40 Students also voted for prom king and queen. Making prom memories at home. This couple dined in the backyard. And this teens' dad and grandpa were her dance partners. Awaw. Seeing a grandpa at Prom is one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. Like, normally the oldest person that still goes to Prom is Arkelli. And you know what, I think Virtual Prom is an amazing idea. Because the real winners here are the kids thu thkis thkis thkis thkis thkis thkis thkis thkis thkis thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi tho tho tho tho tho, thoom thoom thoom thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thin, thin. thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. the. the. the. the. Rkele. And you know what? I think virtual prom is an amazing idea. Because the real winners here are the kids who don't have prom dates. Because
Starting point is 00:05:07 now no one has a date, which means everyone has to stay home. Yeah. So the ones who couldn't get dates feel normal instead of living their whole lives wondering why Cheryl said no and went with her cousin instead. I mean her cousin! Whatever man. Promise stupid is what my friend said who this happened to and not me. All right, that's your ray of sunshine. Let's jump straight into the headlines. All around the world, we're finally seeing signs of light at the end of the Corona Tunnel. The Prime Minister of New Zealand has declared that the virus is effectively eliminated in her country.
Starting point is 00:05:44 Italy has reported its lowest number of daily deaths since March 12th, and in Spain, children are now allowed to play outside for the first time in six weeks. And I'm surprised that Spain has just let all their kids out at once like that. Like, I thought they would do it little by little, you know, Tupper style. I will say this, after coronavirus, every game of tag is more high stakes than ever. Because if you thought being it was bad before, oh ho ho ho! But this is great news for Spain, because in France, kids still aren't allowed to go outside. Well, except for their cigarette break, but then it's straight back inside to finish their wine.
Starting point is 00:06:21 Ho ho, ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho wine. Ho ho ho ho ho ho mommy. Meanwhile in Japan, the mayor of Osaka has come under fire after he said that, quote, men are better suited to grocery shopping during the pandemic because women take too long. To me, it almost sounds like this mayor is just projecting his personal life into his public announcements. Women take too long when they're shopping. And women also don't do the dishes even though it's their turn, because my turn was yesterday, and as a government, we need to fix this. Like, I really don't understand. Why would you say this?
Starting point is 00:06:53 Because yes, fine, I'll admit it. men do tend to be faster when we shop for groceries. But it's only because we go in without a plan. Yeah. Women waste time getting shopping carts and baskets. Men save time because we only buy what we can carry in our arms. And women spend so much time trying to get the exact ripe thing. Men are just like, hey, babe, they're word of soy milk. So I just got soy sauce and regular milk.
Starting point is 00:07:24 We can just mix them, right? It's the same thing, right? All right, now final headline takes us to South Africa, the land of Nelson Mandela, the Vuvuzella, and late night hosts who say the word controversy the correct way. South Africa's president, Cyril Romoposa, for the country's efficient response to COVID-19. But one thing that wasn't as efficient
Starting point is 00:07:46 was when he tried to put on a mask during a press briefing. Cyril Ramaposa has announced a partial reopening of Africa's most advanced economy from the start of next month. But the South African President's second national address in a week was overshadowed by a mask malfunction. As he urged South Africans to wear masks, Ramaposa struggled with his own, prompting hashtag Cyril mask challenge
Starting point is 00:08:10 to trend in South Africa. Okay, I can't tell if he doesn't know how to use a mask, or if he doesn't know what part of his face is the mouth. Is it here? Is it here? This part, this part? Which is it this part? This part? My favorite part was the sign language translator? Because you don't need to know sign language to understand that this means you're done f*** up. But I will say, to President Romopoza's credit, he took all of this in his stride. Well, for those who were laughing at me, now. way. Those who are laughing at me.
Starting point is 00:08:46 Now, let me tell you something. I'm going to open a TV channel where I'm going to teach people how to put on a mask. So you can enroll how a mask is put on. See, now that, that is cool to see. A leader who can admit he got something wrong and he has a sense of humor about it. Because let's be honest, if this was Trump, not only would he have said he wore the mask 100% correctly, but everyone else would have to start wearing the mask that way from then
Starting point is 00:09:19 on. And speaking of Trump, let's catch up on the president's latest shenanigans in our continuing coverage of the pandemic. From the beginning of this crisis, Donald Trump has been saying a lot of not-smart things. He said the coronavirus will disappear like a miracle. He said people had nothing to lose by experimenting with hydroxy chloroqueen. And he even said that the virus can't see you if you don't move. I think he was confusing it with Jurassic Park. But a few days ago, as you've probably heard by now, President Trump created shockwaves of stupidity with his latest and probably greatest unlicensed medical opinion yet.
Starting point is 00:10:00 President Trump offering new but unproven suggestions of how to kill COVID-19 in patients using UV rays and injecting disinfectants such as bleach and alcohol. Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and I think you said that hasn't been checked, but you're going to test it. And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do, either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you're going to test that, too. Sounds interesting.
Starting point is 00:10:36 And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning so that you're going to have to use medical doctors with. But it sounds, it sounds interesting to me. This is maybe the first time in documented history that we've seen someone not thinking out loud. Injecting disinfectant into your body? This is the problem when the dumbest person in the room thinks they're the smartest person. You know, Trump is like Neville Longbottom,
Starting point is 00:11:13 but with Hermione's confidence. And I almost don't even blame Trump because there's no way he even understands what bleach is. Like, do you think Donald Trump has ever cleaned anything in his life? Do you think he's ever actually used disinfectant? Cleaning supplies might as well be magical potions to him. I dropped a hamburger on the carpet. Then some Mexican lady came in with some clorox, sprayed it on the carpet, said some spell in Spanish, and then it was good. Now, as crazy as the disinfectant line was, I don't think we should be so quick to dismiss Trump's UV light idea.
Starting point is 00:11:48 Because Trump spends most of his time under UV lights. And other than looking like Hickory smoked bacon, he's the healthiest man in the world. I mean, he's even outlived Kim Jong-un, a man half his age. Prove me wrong, Kim. If you're still alive, follow me back on Twitter. Now, if you're some random guy on the internet with 12 followers, you can say shit like this, and it really doesn't matter. You can say whatever you want about coronavirus.
Starting point is 00:12:12 But Donald Trump is not just some random guy. Donald Trump was the star of celebrity apprentice. People listen to what he says. So his suggestion about injecting people with the disinfectant has had a massive fallout. The suggestion of ingesting disinfectants, something that would be dangerous and even deadly, has sparked a backlash. Lysol's parent company issued a statement saying, quote, under no circumstances should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body. We have heard from emergency management in various states, they have had a remarkable uptick in the number of calls, mostly thankfully from people
Starting point is 00:12:49 who are just calling to see whether it's true, whether they should consume or ingest disinfectants. We had hundreds of calls in our hotline here in Maryland about people asking about injecting or ingesting these disinfectants, which is, you know, hard to imagine that people thought that that was serious, but people actually were thinking about this. Was this something you could do to protect yourself? Yep. This is where we are now. Authorities have to respond to the President's ideas the same way they do to viral TikTok challenges. And honestly, I love that people were actually calling, calling their local health departments
Starting point is 00:13:31 to ask if they should try to cure themselves with disinfectants. Because that means that even the people who are dumb enough to drink bleach are still smart enough not to trust something Donald Trump said. I mean I was gonna do it, but now that he said it, I, I, I, I, I, I, I that, I that, I that, I that, I that, I that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that people that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that th the the the that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that to drink bleach are still smart enough not to trust something Donald Trump said. I mean, I was going to do it, but now that he said it, I'm not so sure. Now as always, when Trump says something insane about the coronavirus, it puts his team of doctors in a tight spot because they have to try and correct him without embarrassing him. And no one tries harder than Dr. Burks. You didn't believe the president was putting anybody in danger, did you?
Starting point is 00:14:09 No, and he gets new information. He likes to talk that through out loud and really have that dialogue. And so that's what dialogue he was having. I think he just saw the information at the time immediately before the press conference. And he was still digesting that information. Bravo Dr. Berks. Bravo. It is a great defense to not use the word dumb but just describe what being dumb is to describe Trump. She's like no of course the president is not a stupid man. He's just a man who thinks that night happens when God turns the sun off. Now while Dr. Berks was trying to soften the president is not a stupid man. He's just a man who thinks that night happens when
Starting point is 00:14:45 God turns the sun off. Now, while Dr. Berks was trying to soften the blow, most of Trump's defenders, they were doubling down. Oh, you liberals missed the point. Trump is thinking outside the box. This is actually a genius idea when you think about it. But, this was priceless. After Trump's supporters spent the entire day defending him, the president went back on TV to make his fans look like idiots too. Can you clarify your comments about injections of disinfectant? Now I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen. Now, disinfectant for doing this, maybe on the hands would work. And I was asking the question of the gentleman who was there yesterday, Bill.
Starting point is 00:15:31 But I was asking a sarcastic, and a very sarcastic question to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside. But it does kill it, and it would kill it on the hands, and that would make things much better. That was done in the form of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of of the form of the form of the form of the form of the form of the form of the form on the hands and that would make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to the reporters. Okay, come on. We all saw Trump's presser. And we all know it wasn't sarcasm. Sarkasm is when you make fun of something by saying the opposite of what you mean.
Starting point is 00:15:58 You can't just use that as an excuse for when you messed up. My final answer is B. I'm sorry that's wrong. I was just being sarcastic. I can't believe you thought that that was my final answer? Like of all time? Wow, I'm going to go with C. Actually sarcasm again. Let's try A. And if not, sarcasm means D. And my favorite part of that excuse was how Trump tried to have it both ways at the same time. Because he says, he says his suggestion was sarcastic,
Starting point is 00:16:28 but then he immediately goes on to explain why it also makes sense. Trump suggests injecting bleach the way other people try and float a threesome. Obviously I'm joking babe. I don't want to threesome with Johnny. I'm just like, like, like, thi. I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't th. I don't th. I don't th. I don't th. I don't thr- I don't thr- I don't thre. I don't thre's thre's thre's thre's like, I don't want threason, I'm thre's like, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm thre. I'm. I'm, I'm. I'm thre. I'm thr- I'm thr- I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I don't thr- I don't thr-I. I don't thr-I. I don't thr-I. I don't thr. I don't thr. I'm thr. I'm thr. I'm just th. Come on. You're all I need. And Johnny. Just joking. So now we've learned something new from Donald Trump. While the nation is tuning into these briefings for accurate information, Trump is just testing out his newest comedy material and pulling everyone's leg. Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light. And I said, supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do, either through
Starting point is 00:17:12 the skin or in some other way. And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute, and is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning because you see it gets on the lungs and it does a tremendous number of the lungs so it'd be interesting to check that. The one upside of this whole debacle is that Donald Trump has given Americans the perfect excuse the perfect excuse for electing him. Because when all of this whole debacle is that Donald Trump has given Americans the perfect excuse, the perfect excuse for electing him.
Starting point is 00:17:47 Because when all of this is over, and other countries are asking Americans, how the hell did you elect Donald Trump? Americans can be like, no, dude, dude, we were just being sarcastic. Coming up, Roeward Junior has some tips for getting a haircut at home, so stick around. We'll be right back. 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.
Starting point is 00:18:19 But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Seth th se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se se. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to to to thi. thi. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the. the. the. the the the. the. the. the. the. to. to. to. to. to. thi. thi. thi. 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. Welcome back to the daily social distancing show. One of the small but real things that quarantining has forced us all to give up, is getting our hair cut. And while foregoing the barbershop is a struggle for everyone, for
Starting point is 00:18:48 black men in particular, it's a different kind of sacrifice. Roywood Jr. has more. Thanks, Trevor. I've been quarantined for about a month. As you can tell, my hair's been locked up for about five. I need to get a haircut. I know how to solve this problem I'm gonna call my barber Chris. What's up big homie? What's going on man? How you doing man? I was the quarantine. Yeah, everybody good, family's healthy. It's just you know not being able to hit the shop. Yeah, that's very unfortunate. Listen back to me. How can you teach me how to cut my hair to tell me about two minutes? Yeah, I got I can't do. you you. you you. to to to to teach. to teach. to teach. to teach. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their. their to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to me. to me. their. their. their their their their their their their their. their. their their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their their their their their their their their their the. the. the. the. thea. thea. thea. thea. thea. toda. today. today. to. to. the. the. teach you a little something. Well, first, don't mess me up. Look at my hair line. I ain't got before haircuts left. What, I, first you gonna need to get you some good clippers, some good lighting. That's there. I got that.
Starting point is 00:19:32 I got that. I got that. We're in here, man. It is the M-Dair from me, and I got everything. Let me see what you got. I got the mirror. I got the clippers. I got the guards. Got the guards. Okay, I guess. I got the comb.
Starting point is 00:19:52 Plus that mouthwash y'all put it in right there. That ain't what we use. It's a's side. It's supposed to disinfect the the combs. You're telling me that this is good enough to disinfect my mouth but not a comb? I don't know man. If I'm gonna cut my hair in my own house, I want the authentic black barbershop and spit. Look what else I got man. I even got the sandwich that y'all be nibbling on why y'all be cutting people's head. Let me tell tell tell tell tell tell tell th say th say the th say th th say th say th say th the th thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's thi thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' their the thin' thea' thin' thea' thin' thea' thin' thea' thea'. Let me tell you something, a good barber don't eat why he cutting a head. You tell me you never seen no barber just nibbling on some fries that you carry out box before us. But that's unprofessional. I got that second phone y'all be having with all them with that super long cord so you can talk to a girl
Starting point is 00:20:36 why you couldn't have your head. Roy, stop it. I'm going th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. tha' all tha' all tho' all tho' all thi' all thi' all tho'a'a'a' all tho'er, thin'er, thin' all just just just thee, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tha' all just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just, th. tha'a'a'-a'-a'-n't throwne-a'er's-n'er's just a-n'er's just a-a'er's just a-n'er's just mea'er's just mea'er's just a-a'er's you how to cut hair. It's all you need to be worried about. The first thing you need to do is take the number two guard and establish a line. Establish a line. Like, who's better? Kobe or LeBron? Like that line? Like, you got to let people know where you stand immediately. Uh, no, that ain't what I'm talking. It's just the line for the fade. That's where you're gonna start your fade. That's where you're gonna start blending. I'm not talking about just a haircut, man. I'm trying to recreate the black barbershop experience. And if I can't argue about random shit, what's the point of going to the barber shop?
Starting point is 00:21:18 Well, see, that's the black barber shop experience at home because being at the shop is about community, being able to communicate and talk to people and get stuff off your chest. You can't get that at home? Oh, like therapy. theerapy. It's therapeutic for the barbers and their barbons and the customers. Can you just come up? Come over and you just come a half so we can argue about Kobe and LeBron. It's thier- the risk. So if barbers are risking their lives just to give somebody a fade, what can we do to help them? Should we bimbo a little bit of money if we feel like it? I mean, yeah, you could do that, you know,
Starting point is 00:21:53 but at end of the day, the best thing you can do to help barbush is just to work. That's right. But in the meantime, man, would you mind doing me a favor? For sure, I got you. Just tell me who you think is better. Kobe or LeBron? Let me tell you something. A lot of people give Kobe credit. Kobe won all those rings with Michael Jordan. He hit those championships were handed to him. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. those rings with Michael Jordan. He, he, those championships were handed to him.
Starting point is 00:22:26 Yes, yes, keep going, keep going. Who's the powerful big? Let me tell you something. They always talk about Biggie. Biggie didn't have the catalog of Tupan. Two-five and wait for a song. Thank you so much, Roy. Thank you so much, Roy. to, Roy, Roy, will be Atlanta Mayor Kisha Lance Bartons, who is objecting to her state's reopening of the economy.
Starting point is 00:22:50 We'll discuss that with her right after the break. 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. Really? 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 point is 00:23:20 Starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the Daily Social Distancing Show. Earlier today, I got the chance to speak to the Mayor of Atlanta, Kisha Lance Bottoms. She recently went on the record opposing the Governor of Georgia's plan to reopen the economy last week. We talked about that and more, so check it out. Mayor Kisha Lance Bottoms, thank you so much for joining us on the Daily Social Distancing Show. Thank you for having me. It's an honor to join you. It's an interesting time, specifically in Georgia right now, because you have a governor who has decided to be, in many ways,
Starting point is 00:24:02 the pilot program for America opening up way sooner than a lot of people thought any places should open up. You have come out and have been very vocal against Kemp opening up the state of Georgia, but you're the mayor of Atlanta. Tell us why you're so against this, even though the governor says he's considered it, and he thinks it's time for Georgia to reopen. You know, the irony of this is that that thiiiiiii, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. thi.eei. to toeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. thiii. thi. thi. thi. this is that the governor and I have a very good working relationship. He's a Republican governor. I am, of course, a Democrat. And so we cross the owl quite a bit to work together.
Starting point is 00:24:33 But this is something that I feel very strongly about, because lives are at stake. And I would say repeatedly, and I'll say it again, this is one that I hope that I'm wrong on this and that he's right. Because if he's wrong, people will die and this is this can't remain silent in speaking up against what I think is a premature decision to allow our state to open back up and continue business as usual. Bolling alleys, movie theaters, there's nothing essential about those businesses. And I understand there's a huge economic strain on so many business owners, and that's very real. But we're balancing that in life, literally. And we don't get to pick and choose
Starting point is 00:25:21 who gets infected and how severe their illness will be. And when one person is infected, then it, an entire community. And that's, and I've spoken up against the governor on this. Now, many people who support the governor or the governor himself have argued that opening up states like Georgia, it isn't as bad as it may be in a place like New York because people are able to maintain
Starting point is 00:25:47 a certain level of distance between each other. They've argued that people can still be responsible even though the states have opened up. Do you think that there's a balance between the two worlds, or do you think that this is something that wasn't thought out enough before jumping into action? Absolutely not. And that's why I was so frustrating that the governor didn't defer to local control
Starting point is 00:26:08 and local decision making on this. Because Atlanta is a part of a larger metropolitan area. So we have about 500,000 residents in Atlanta, but the metropolitan area is around 6 million people. That's a lot of people in a very small space. And so, you know, this notion that we are Georgia of 1920, it's not realistic. We are a major American city.
Starting point is 00:26:41 We have the world's busiest airport. And so it's not possible for us to completely separate and distance ourselves. And when you talk about barbershops and hair salons, specifically communities of color, there's one on every single corner. And I've read an article today that southern states are bearing the brunt, and will bear the brunt of COVID-19 in a way that will be unprecedented compared to the rest of the country.. c country. c country.. to to to to the country... to to to to the country. the country. the brunt and will bear the brunt of COVID-19 in a way that
Starting point is 00:27:05 will be unprecedented compared to the rest of the country in large part because of the underlying health conditions, the poverty rates and all of these things that are making this disease more deadly. And it concerns me deeply, but we will know in the next two to four weeks if this social slash health experiment was a brilliant idea or if it was the absolute worst thing that could have happened. Now you are you are the mayor of Atlanta so obviously you're in a in a tricky situation or in a tricky spot because you know the governor has issued these orders and then you also have power as as a mayor. Where do you think your power ends and and where do
Starting point is 00:27:50 you think his begins? Because you're trying to figure out who to listen to? If somebody's a resident of Georgia, if they're a resident of Atlanta, they have the two of you, but they're trying to figure out who to listen to, how do you think people should navigate that for themselves? Well, this is something I'm navigating for myself. He is the governor and he has authority throughout this state. He went out of his way to say that his orders would take precedence over anything that we could do locally, but I have the power of my voice. It's the reason that I'm talking with you. It's the reason I've been speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking speaking ing with you is the reason I've been speaking every opportunity that I get to let people know that I disagree with this order and I
Starting point is 00:28:29 know in Atlanta where we are a dense community where there are a number of people of color that this could be catastrophic for our community I think that it's wrong. You have people who on one one side of the argument who have been saying, you know, places like nail salons, barber shops, etc., don't need to be open. There have been people who frequent those places or people who own them or work in them who say, yes, but these are the small businesses that are the lifeblood of many of our small communities. And you're in a unique position because your mom owned a nail salon. So, you know, you were raised in that world, in that ecosystem for yourself.
Starting point is 00:29:08 So if you were speaking to somebody who owned a nail salon, if you're speaking to somebody who works in one and they say to you, you know, Mayor, I completely hear what you're saying but I need to earn money now, I need to get back out there so that I can pay my bills. What would you say to them? Well, and actually it was a hair salon that my mother owned for almost 25 years, and I would say what my mother says to me often, you have to live to fight another day. This would have been devastating for our family, because my mother was a single parent,
Starting point is 00:29:38 and we relied heavily and solely on what she brought into our household for a very long period of time. So I get it, I understand it. But I also know there would have been nothing more important to me as a child and to my mother as the breadwinner in our household that she'd be healthy and whole. And what I continue to look at is history. We've been through the Great Depression, we've been through recessions, we've been through pandemics in this nation, and generations have gotten to the other side of it. It wasn't always comfortable, and it wasn't all, but when you exercise good sense and when you just stay focused on what the end goal is,
Starting point is 00:30:28 I know that we'll get to the other side of it. And what we know looking at countries across the globe is that the way that they've been able to flatten their numbers is to be very deliberate in keeping people separated. And our numbers in this state are continuing to rise daily. Our deaf rates are continuing to rise and we aren't testing people and we may have beds to offer to people, but it's like we're saying to people, yeah, go bowling and if you get sick, I have a bed for you. That makes no sense to me. What would you recommend to people in terms of reopening, when would they go out? Because some people feel like there's no light at the end of this tunnel. And so some may say, well, I understand that now's not the right time, but when
Starting point is 00:31:15 would you think the right time should be or could be? I think we just have to wait a few more weeks the the the to wait a the to wait a to wait a the to wait a to wait a to wait a to wait a tha to wait a to wait a to wait a to wait a to wait a to wait a to wait a to wait a to wait a to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to tooomoomoomoomorrow. few more weeks and and we can look at what's happening in New York, we can look at what's happened in Washington and we can look at other places and see that there is light at the end of the tunnel if you stay the course, but we are not giving ourselves an opportunity to even get a glimpse of the light because we're taking five steps backwards and I think that's why it's incumbent upon us as leaders. You got to be able to put money in people's pockets. You have to make it easy for these small businesses to access loans. I was looking at an interview with a barber who said, I know I'm putting my health at risk. If I had money in my pocket, if I had gotten one of those small business loans, I would not have enough. That. That's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's th. I's th. I that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. I's thi. I's thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. to to thi. thi. thi. th pocket, if I had gotten one of those small business
Starting point is 00:32:05 loans, I would not have enough. That's a very bad situation and choice that we are making people have to balance. And so I think our energy as leaders is better spent not rushing to open up, but figure out ways like we are doing in Atlanta. We started a cosmetology relief fund. We're asking people to contribute to that fund. Take that $15 or $50 you would have spent getting your hair done. Put it in that relief fund so we can put some money in people's pockets so they don't have to choose between their life and opening up their business. Yeah, it really is a tough choice that people have to make right now because even though it's only been for many people a month, it feels like there's no end in sites and so they
Starting point is 00:32:53 have to start preparing for the worst because most people are only one paycheck away from not being able to afford their lives. As the mayor, I know you have limited power, but is there anything that the city of Atlanta is or can do right now, or is there anything you wish the federal government would be focusing on more to help residents of cities like yours? So we're going to continue to do what we've been doing in Atlanta, sure that we can provide services to our residents. I just send out a robo call to our senior residents on today, encouraging them to sign up for our food delivery program. We are already providing food to our students.
Starting point is 00:33:31 We're also, we also have a small business loan program that we hope to expand. I mentioned the beauty and barbershop relief fund. And so we're trying to be creative in that way. We've suspended water payments in the city of Atlanta so that people don't have to at least worry about running water. I think those are the things we have to be creative with. And then I'll continue to talk to the health experts and follow their recommendations.
Starting point is 00:33:58 I'm not a medical professional. So my decision making is based on what is being related to me as science and data. And when I look at the data, I see that our numbers are still rising. And I look at the science, and science is clear. You have to socially distance yourself. So that's what we will continue to do, and I'll continue to consult with our public health experts and see if there is anything else that we can do in this city to make and I'll continue to consult with our public health experts and see if there is anything else that we can do in this city to make it easier for people who stay home during
Starting point is 00:34:31 this time. Well Mayor, thank you so much for your time. I wish you the best and hopefully as you said the governor is right as opposed to him being wrong but we'll see how the story ends. Thank you so so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. Thank you for the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the story ends. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for your time, Mayer Bottom. Stick around. We'll be right back after this. Well, that's our show for tonight, but before we go, the COVID pandemic has devastated communities around the world. But the International Medical Corps is helping those communities rebuild and recover. So if you are able to help in any way and you want to join their global outreach, please donate whatever you can.
Starting point is 00:35:11 And if you'd like to support the response specifically in New York City where we're so hard hit, please donate to the NYC health care heroes who are providing care packages to our health care workers, hospitals and temporary medical facilities. Until tomorrow though, stay safe out there, wash your hands, and remember, any food can be pudding if you wait long enough. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show.com. 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.
Starting point is 00:36:04 This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. 30 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.
Starting point is 00:36:21 Listen to 60 minutes, a second look.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.