the uk government guarantees financial support for holiday makers seeking refunds for trips that that were cancelled because of coronavirus. now on bbc news — audiences from around the world question their leaders on global issues. hello, and welcome to london for this edition of global questions, with me, zeinab badawi. has coronavirus become a political crisis for president trump, dealing a major blow to his chances of re—election in november? his handling of the pandemic has their own criticisms, even derision. drawn criticisms, even derision. and covid—19 has also laid bare inequalities in american society.

that's global questions: coronavirus crisis — focus on america. well, i'm now inside bbc‘s headquarters here in central london, and as always, to bring you this edition of global questions, our questioners and also our two panellists join us via video link. don't forget that you too can join the conversation — it's #bbcglobalquestions. but let me tell you who is in the hot seat this week giving the answers. focus on america has worked with several senior republicans, and is a supporter of donald trump. he is chairperson of the travis county republican party in texas, and is also a political consultant and president of the potomac

of the potomac strategy group, based in washington. matthew hosts a regular podcast, mack on politics. and democrat moe vela is the first hispanic american to serve to serve as a senior adviser in the white house during the clinton and obama administrations, including for the then vice president, joe biden, who of course is the democrat running against donald trump in november's presidential election. moe is now president of the vela group, a consulting firm based in washington. so, welcome to my two panellists and to our audience, who join us from all over the world. to you, wherever you are watching, a solitary clap from me. so, let's get down to business, our first question is from david here in the uk, from bristol in england. david — fire away. my question is, how much is donald trump relying on the united states strong economy in order to validate his the election as president? re—election as president? right, 0k. moe, you kick off. first of all, david,

thanks for the question. second of all, let's start with one minor correction. our economy is anything but strong, it's an absolute shambles, it's disastrous right now. if i was donald trump, i couldn't rely on the economy at all. we have the highest unemployment in decades, we are in a recession, the worst one since the worst one since the great depression. and there is a direct correlation between our incredibly horrific economy and president trump's ineptitude in the coronavirus response. so, he can't rely on the economy — i said this on fox business two mornings ago, i'll say it again here on bbc global questions — if the president wants to rely on the economy when it is good, he's also going to get credit when it is disastrous. you can't have it both ways, david. so, if i was him, i'd be staying far away from this economy

as he can't run on it — it is absolutely in a ditch. well, matthew, defend your position. well, there's no question that the coronavirus and the resulting economic shutdown have very badly harmed the economy, particularly in the march through may timeframe. but, moe, i have good news for you — the economy is bouncing back very quickly. we saw record—breaking private sector hiring last month, retail sales numbers were the highest we've ever seen, we may see gdp growth at 15 or 20% in the third quarter. we are at i think around 11% national unemployment, that's very different from where we were in february, but we are bouncing back very quickly. so, yes, trump was planning on running on the strong economy in january and february. i think the opportunity that exist for him in september, october, then november when the election occurs, is to make the argument that we are coming back, and that he is the best person to rebuild the american economy. if you look at what former vice president biden has promised, he's promised significant tax increases, including on the middle class.

he's promised a shutdown of the oil and gas industry in the united states, which would have profound economic consequences for states like ohio, pennsylvania and texas and others. so, i think trump is actually on pretty steady ground if he can turn it into a contrast race, a choice for election between him and biden as it relates to the economy. but, look, coronavirus and the economy, all these issues are connected, and voters are going to have to come to their own conclusions in the fall once we kind of get closer to the election. let's just see what david from bristol makes of that. well, i certainly think it's true donald trump can't hold the economy at the moment. but as matt said, i think that maybe he will use this as an opportunity in order to show himself to be the best man for the job and use, whether or not it's deserved, his prowess at having got the economy to where it is, and say that he is going to bring the economy back up again. all right, thank you. let's go to the united states, where it's all happening. andreas in seattle, what's your question to our two panellists?

to what extent do you believe that the pandemic has been overly politicised, and who or what do you believe is to blame? matt? that's a great question. unfortunately, yes, i do think that there are aspects of the coronavirus story that have been overly politicised. if you look at the criticism that's been directed at president trump and at some of the red states that have reopened, like georgia, florida, texas, arizona, you contrast that with california and new york, which have been very bad as well, and you don't see those democratic states getting the same level of criticism. i think there is blame to go around on all sides. i wish the administration had been quicker in february and early march to respond to what we saw was coming. but i also think that, at the end of the day, the coronavirus response was only going to be effective with the voluntary participation of the public. so, in mid to late march,

when they started the 15 days to slow the spread, which i think they extended to 30 days, the only reason that was successful was because 90% of the people took the voluntary steps of staying at home and wearing masks and socially distancing. so, it would have been hard to convince 90% of the public to do that in february when the coronavirus really wasn't affecting people directly. so it is a regret i think that the country hasn't pulled together in a unified way. we are five months from the election, it's a very political time, so i think it's difficult to do that. but you're seeing political aspects over the issue of whether you should wear a mask or not, which is ridiculous. everyone who cannot maintain social distance should wear a mask to protect themselves and others. so, yeah, there's politics in all of this right now, it's a little bit regrettable, but we are four months now from the most important election in a long time. so, it's inevitable, is it, moe? 0h, heavens no. listen, this is something i can speak personally about. there are very few people

in the united states that can say, "i have sat twice on the white house continuity of covernment continuity of government "and emergency preparedness working group." i have had the privilege of serving my country, as you mentioned, twice in the white house, and both times, i sat on the continuity of government working group. so i know first hand, with tremendous confidence and in—depth knowledge, how this president has failed our nation in his lack of attention and responsiveness, preparation, planning and prevention of this virus. i sat in there many years of my life, and we planned for these types of pandemics, we planned for terrorist attacks, and he dismantled that office. while he golfed in february and held campaign rallies, he could have been preventing and mitigating the spread of the virus. i actually admire matt for telling the truth on the masks. so, to the question of politicising this —

the president is the number one leader in politicising this entire coronavirus. in what way? because he refused to wear a mask for four months, and made it a political issue. matt acknowledged that, and i appreciate that. the entire experience has been a politicisation by donald trump of this virus. he didn't want it to happen, he didn't want to deal with it — he likes to pretend it doesn't exist. that is, in itself, political. people are dying in record numbers and we are the most infected country in the world. in the world! andreas, comment on what you have heard our two panellists say. i understand both viewpoints, definitely, but i do believe that during crises like this, there is this kind of rally around the flag effect, where your look to your leaders and you look to those in charge for guidance.

when you have those people, like president trump and vice president pence, not wearing masks, encouraging rallies — it doesn't inspire confidence. all right, thanks very much indeed. let's not go to india to our next question. what do you want to ask our two panellists? so, what reforms can be observed in reducing tensions and taking proper actions for the betterment of society in the us? a manifesto question there, moe. perhaps just give us some highlights of the kind of reforms that you think might reduce some of the tensions. we have heard a lot about inequality and that kind of thing. i've never seen it like this, and i've never seen the division so severe and so profound. one of the main reasons i supportjoe biden, other than that he's my friend and my former boss, and i believe in him and i love him, is because we need to unify in the united states right now,

and we need a unifying leader. to andreas's point a minute ago, we don't get that confidence from the current leadership. they are peddling in division, they peddle in negativity, and frankly, they peddle in hatred and racism. so, the only way that we are actually going to address these divides, this civil unrest, is to have a unifying leader that can actually find common ground among all of us. even if you don't vote for somebody, you can still actually learn to respect somebody. it'sjust going back to the american values of kindness, respect, empathy, compassion — these are values that have been nonexistent by donald trump in three and a half years. it's been the other extreme. so, in my opinion, the reforms we need will be in the form of a new leader that unifies our nation. your response, matt? look, the challenge is our country is divided.

while i understand the democrats want to blame trump for that, and he certainly deserves some blame for that, the country is divided. it is politically divided, right? trump won with 46% of the national vote, because of the electoral college, and his poll ratings have been very split. he's been in basically the low to mid 40s throughout the first three and a half years. my hope is, no matter who wins the election in november, the country will unify behind for the next four years. it's hard to see that, the democrats are so against trump, even when he is for things they were once in favour of, like border security, like getting tough on china, like rebuilding our manufacturing and bringing it back home, like even isolationist positions on foreign policy. those are all things democrats were once for that they now criticise him for. look, he's been a divisive figure, i won't deny that. i would argue a good part of that is because he's been attacked more directly and more relentlessly than any president in american history.

again, does he have some blame for that? 100%, he does. i wish he were a more unifying figure. but his agenda is not one that's going to get 60% or 70% support from the country. he has things he promised — he's gotten a lot of them done, he wants to keep going in that direction, and that is going to lead to some division. i do think that the coronavirus and the racialjustice protests that we have seen over the last few months gave us an opportunity to have more greater national unity than we have had, and i think that something that we should all regret. thanks very much. let's go to sanjana in india. my question is, do you feel america's health care system needs some improvement following this current pandemic? if yes, what kind of improvements? right, matthew, health care. this has been a big hot political potato for donald trump, because he is trying to roll back the health care reforms that

president obama brought in. so, what's your take on this? one of the problems with a banner ca re one of the problems with a banner care was that it was passed on a party line vote. because of that, republicans were never politically invested in it, they were invested in fighting it. we do something as big as obamacare, the first major health care reform in the 50 or 70 years, it is to be bipartisan. ultimately, his administration decided they can get what they wanted of the immediate bipartisan, so wanted of the immediate bipartisan, so they went a partisan read. coronavirus has risk health care for a numberof coronavirus has risk health care for a number of people, a number of people have lost health care because they have lost theirjobs. health ca re they have lost theirjobs. health care is connected to employment, that does mean that sometimes people are trapped. to me, it is less about

health insurance and more about health insurance and more about health care. just because you have health care. just because you have health insurance doesn't mean you can get cared. we do want to get people covered. from a republican viewpoint, you need innovation to get the price down. let me just remind matt of something that his candidate is trying to do. talk about health care reform in the united states was up his candidate, the president of the united states, is trying to roll back health care in the middle of a pandemic. just think about that for 30 seconds. that will tell you exactly exactly who donald trump is, and it will tell you exactly how republicans feel about health care in the united states. it is absolutely despicable, so states. it is absolutely despicable, so start there. number two, to a nswer so start there. number two, to answer the question, we absolutely need health care reforms in the united states — our health care

system is broken. anybody who would deny now is living in some imaginary universe. the problem is, we should shout this objective, i'm happy that matt actually agrees with democrats on this, everyone should have health ca re coverage on this, everyone should have health care coverage and insurance. obamacare brought millions of people who were otherwise uninsured, brought them into coverage — that is a phenomenal start but it is not the end. the goal has to be that everybody, regardless of their socio economic status, regardless of the colour of the colour of their skin, regardless of their zip code, needs to have equality, equal health care in the united states of america. how we get there — we need to come together and figure that out. we have got to have reforms, period. i will end by simply saying... i will tell you this, trying to get rid of

obamacare in the middle of a pandemic is so low, even for donald trump's standards, is so inhumane, that i can even... my blood pressure just went up just talking about it. match, can you reduce about it. matt, can you reduce his blood pressure? no! i need to get rid of donald trump and the presidency, that's all. the legal challenge to obamacare predates coronavirus. it isa obamacare predates coronavirus. it is a question whether the programme is a question whether the programme is constitutional or not. if it were struck down, there would be a period of time, it would not be immediate and people would lose health care insurance immediately. what is the republican pa rty‘s insurance immediately. what is the republican party's proposal, we haven't seen anything from your party, that one proposal to replace obamacare. there are several bills out there and i would be happy to send you. there are not several.

now, come on. my point is, because obamacare was only done by one party, there is only one party interested in it. we need something oi'i interested in it. we need something ona interested in it. we need something on a bipartisan basis, i think that would be much better for the country. let's have another question now. considering that international students represent a large and creative industry in the us, would you make of current immigration policy for international students and what reforms should be brought in and why? let's go to you, moe, or international students, but perhaps you would also tap into the wider immigration debate. it let me answer the specific answer first. i think

the specific answer first. i think the president's complete 100% reversal on his absolutely racist policy of trying to get rid of international students speaks for itself. doesn't thatjust international students speaks for itself. doesn't that just tell you everything? it was absolutely despicable, again. divisive, again. hateful, again. we see the same playbook from the trump camp and the republicans over and over again. that's just not america. so, to eve ryo ne that's just not america. so, to everyone on this wonderful programme from all the parts of the world— we are so from all the parts of the world— we are so sorry from all the parts of the world— we are so sorry that this is happening to us right now. it's embarrassing, frankly, we apologise to the rest of the world, you used to respect us. i know that for years everyone thought we we re know that for years everyone thought we were the leaders, we aren't any it's embarrassing and sad, but we will be again. on immigration in general, here's the deal, either we are going to be a compassionate

nation, and inclusive nation. even george w bush had it right, my fellow texa n, george w bush had it right, my fellow texan, when he said that compassionate conservatism a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, for dhaka students was up immigrants, for dhaka students was up that george w bush republican area is unfortunate not the trump republican. that is at the old republican. that is at the old republic that i could actually respect and work with. before i come to you, matt, the u—turn referred to by moe they are on international stu d e nts by moe they are on international students was an uncommon saying that since courses were going to be online, international students needed to leave the country under the courses in their own countries, now he has backtracked on that. matt? i could do without the condescension from my co—panellist here. i condescension from my co—panellist here. lam condescension from my co—panellist here. i am glad on the universal, i'm glad they reversed it. it makes no sense to kick out international

students who are participating in classes online, that makes no sense. i think more broadly, the confirmation of trying to move away from the family —based immigration syste m from the family —based immigration system to a merit—based system, and thatis system to a merit—based system, and that is what the uk, canada, australia has, i don't think anybody would call those countries races. maybe moe would, he likes to use the word racist eight lot. only when it is true, matt. the goal is to bring immigrants in who have the skills out immigrants in who have the skills our economy needs when we need. if as nurses, we will bring nurses and, if his agricultural workers, we will bring them men. but your kind it was trying to get rid of them in. but your candidate was trying to get rid of them, matt. to the question about international students, the value of international students, the value of international students, the value of international students coming in from a united states perspective, every spirit that comes in that one spot can go to one person or to another. when they come in, we want

them to stay here. so these are reform and expansion i think would make a lot of sense. you have good economic data that shows that if those we were coming here and go to an elite university and a and stay here, they create jobs, they are innovators, they are employers— as he made a good thing for the economy. but the challenges of becoming at their education and then they go back to india, china, on whatever it is, we have obviously taken that's what a good thing for the economy. but the challenges of becoming at their education and then they go back to india, china, on whatever it is, we have obviously taken that spot away and is going back to helping another country, finish with this final question from social media. we had a lot of people talking about the economic situation in the us, one person said gradually to the us becoming a failed state. because of lack cuba crisis, america is in danger of losing its superpower position in the future —

what you make of that? —— coronavirus crisis. i think that is highly unlikely to stop i think we are entering india to power a header, with the us and china. i think we are at risk of being ove rta ke n by think we are at risk of being overtaken by china, certainly economically and militarily. if we do not take it on, from many standpoints, economic slowdown is not unique to the us. i think we are bouncing back, now and i disagree on that, maybe he hasn't seen the statistics in the last few weeks, they have been a very strong. does that mean everyone who has me economically hard over the past few months have had their income repaired? no, no, the answer is no. it will take some time, maybe into next year. i think this is where tom has the opportunity to draw that got us on has the opportunity to draw that got us on the economy, to make it clear that a low tax, a pro—energy future. this is how we will rebuild the american economy. biden wants to do

with more government, higher taxes, more central planning— that is his approach. moe was trying to point out that the abiding record was strong, it was the weakest economic recovery in 100 years. come on, matt. you just brought up big government? we have the highest deficit in the history of the united states of america and at your candidate. we have done on the economy. just your last pay off there. moe, do you think the us might be in danger of losing its superpower status? we already have, we absolutely already have. i do interviews all over the world, the minute the camera goes off, journalists say to me, what has happened to your nation? that is what i hear consistently. i agree with them— what has happened to our nation? the old american values of compassion, inclusion and empathy and leadership and integrity and

decency— that the one that i am shocked that matt, he sounds like a good guy, but how you can get on tv i defend a racist and a man that has been so deeply in dissent. moe, i'm sure that donald trump has said repeatedly that he is not a racist. just putting that layer. his actions speakjust as just putting that layer. his actions speak just as loud just putting that layer. his actions speakjust as loud as his my friend. moe vela, thank you very much, also your fellow panellists, matt mackowiak, also to my question is whojoin us from mackowiak, also to my question is who join us from all over the world. that's all from this edition of global questions —, bringing you huge a debate from both sides of the argument is that we are the programme that brings you the trend lines from the headlines. you can

e—mail us. until the next time, from me they nabbed there while we and the rest of the global questions team, goodbye. —— is a knob down hello. we have got some big contrasts in the weather across the uk right now. the warmest of the weather this evening will remain across the south—east of the country. temperatures will still hover around the mid 20s, but wales, the north of england, you can see overcast satellite image here and the radar superimposed and you can see the outbreaks of rain there needed to be wales into parts of northern england, but also scotland and northern ireland, some sunshine here. let's have a look at the picture, then, early evening when you might still be out and about. so we have got showers across scotland here, particularly around the north west highlands. some decent weather

for northern ireland, around 16 degrees at this stage and nice enough there in the north—east of england, the lake district, lancashire, but wales, north midlands, peak district into parts but in the south—east we have got that fine, warm weather around 25 degrees at 6 or 7pm. this evening that weather front, and it is a weather front, will move southwards and it is going to turn wet in the south. so for the early hours of the morning, we are expecting some rain in places like cardiff, southampton, london, certainly norwich in for a bit of rain, mild here, 16 degrees. the north of the country overnight with the clear skies will turn fairly chilly, temperatures could be five, six, 7 degrees outside of town. tomorrow, a very different day across wales and the north of england, look how sunny it is, clear skies, beautiful weather there for liverpool, for hull, for newcastle. the south of the country will be cooler and cloudier public some

spits and spots of rain still affecting the extreme south—east there. in scotland, we are expecting some showers on sunday. beyond sunday, we are expecting the high pressure to build off the atlantic, and that means that the weather will start to settle down, so that does mean it's going to be a fine start to the week ahead, light winds, fair bit of sunshine and fareweather cloud building up, really pleasant day to come for the start of the week. temperatures around 22 and in london, a little bit fresher in the north around 17 celsius and the indications are that we will keep the fine weather. in fact, look at that, southampton, beautiful conditions through most of the week, but in the north—west of the uk it could turn a little unsettled by the time get wednesday. bye— bye.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the veteran american civil rights leader and long—serving congressman, john lewis, has died at the age of 80. local authorities in england can use new powers from today to deal with coronavirus outbreaks in their area — with the ability to shut down specific premises, close off outdoor areas and cancel public events. eu leaders struggle to reach an agreement on a 750 billion euro economic recovery package to repair the damage done by the coronavirus pandemic. the indian film star, aishwarya rai bachchan, and her daughter havejoined other family members in a mumbai hospital,