that's all for us. see you next week on "the barron's round table." ♪ ♪ sister. and we'll see you monday. "lou dobbs tonight" starts right now. [♪] lou: good evening, everybody, president trump standing with his coronavirus task force today. he delivered a promising message about the country's fight against the deadly wuhan virus. president trump says there are growing signs his administration's aggressive strategy to save american lives is working. president trump: we are seeing hospital admissions declining substantially. the number of new cases nationwide per day is flattening suggesting we are near the peak and our comprehensive strategy is working. over time our guidelines to slow

the spread are decreasing. and will result in fewer hospital admissions because of the people doing what they had to do. great people. and working with elected representatives and the doctors, the nurses and everybody. just everybody. everybody has been so amazing. lou: president trump's aggressive strong handling of the deadly chinese contagion has improved considerably his poll numbers. the fox news poll reaching a record high, up to 49%. the latest fox news reading. 79% say the nation is moving in the right direction in the fight against the pandemic.

101,000 worldwide have been killed. in the united states, almost half a million have been infected. 18,000 more have died. dr. deborah birx echoed some of the president's optimism that better times are indeed ahead. >> what has been encouraging for those of you watching epidemic curving every day. for the first time in the jeuts unite -- in theunited states weo level on the rhythmic phase. this gives us great heart in specific places and we are starting to see that change. lou: dr. birx adding quickly while there are many encouraging signs, it does not mean the united states has yet reached its peak. that's expected to hit his easter sunday. as the curve goints flatten and

the death toll projections decline. there has been great discussion about when the economy will reopen. the president announced today that he will unveil a new task force next tuesday to advise him on when to reopen the nation. he calls the decision the greatest of his presidency. president trump: they are going to go back to work and stay healthy. when you look at what we are doing. we hope we'll be able to fulfill a certain date. but we are not doing anything until we know this country will be healthy. the facts are going to determine what i do. but we do want to get the country open. it's so important. lou: in order to assure that safety of the american people vice president mike pence says most major communities must be as he put it at the end of their

outbreaks. the country should have widespread testing available as well, as well as therapeutics and died yens from the center -- and guidance from the centers for disease control and return to operations and operate safely. my next guest is a member of the president's coronavirus task force and he predicted the economy will open in 4-8 weeks, larry kudlow. the coronavirus task force showing optimism even though we are so moved by the losses the country is taking as a result of the wuhan virus. your thoughts about how will the president balance the safety of the american people which he assures, and ending this fight

victorious against that virus? >> thanks for having me back on. i think what the president said today is exactly what he has been telling folks internally. the decision to reopen the economy will be made on the basis of the numbers. it will be data driven. as debra and others have said, the numbers are coming in better. i guess i'll stay with my 4-8 week estimate. that's a combination of hope and prayer. but the numbers are improving. we have to be careful. this has been a terrible period. a lot of people are suffering health and economic hardship. inside a lot of people share the president's view, we would love to get this economy open as soon as possible. and that will be driven by the numbers as it always is. lou: those numbers now are

sobering. they are grave. we are looking at terrible tragedies for so many americans. the necessity, the urgency of returning the country to business. people to work. and to restore normla norm -- -- restore normalcy. i find it interesting some scientific wags talking about we'll never have the same normal. i think this has been a period throughout this entire presidency going on 3 1/2 years of it. this has been a new normal anyway. it seems as though that prosperity is something we all want to restore and sustain. >> i am not the health expert. but there is no question on the one hand certain mitigations,

best practices will be observed for a long time. washing your hands. getting tested. taking your temperature. it reminds me of 9/11. afterwards we put up metal detectors in the airports. people thought it might be temporary. and it was permanent. on the other hand, i know the president agrees. we had tremendous prosperity before this virus took hold. tax cuts and deregulation and energy and better trade deals. very strong prosperity. so the numbers coming in on the economy are perfectly dreadful and they will continue that way. i see it as a pandemic contraction. we'll get to our rescue package

to ameliorate that. this is temporary. the virus will be defeated and america will go back to work. this is an incentive-driven economy and america will go back to work. i think people want to get out of the house if they can as long as they feel confident and safe. we want them to go back to work on the assembly lines. it's just a question when we get a green light from the good numbers. but america will go back to work. you know that and i do too. lou: i have confidence in this president and his economic director and the entire administration. i think these polls show most of america feel the same way.

and we are also seeing great positives. one of them is, and it's not a minor item, we don't have a nation of daffodils and buttercups that the left seems intent on speaking to. i don't think they exist in enough numbers to move towards the left to water in proposing this election year. i think it's fascinating we are seeing a performance this week that is the strongest performance by the markets in the face of the pandemic and an aggressive chinese disinformation campaign. we watched the best performance in the market this week in 44 years. did that surprise you? >> yes, i'd did. but the market is picking up a

few key points. the coronavirus numbers aren't proving. i think the market trades off that. the second point is i think the market likes our rescue package in conjunction with what the federal reserve is doing. i want to read this small business assistance program, the payroll protection program. we are at 661,000 loans approved. 168 billion dollars. $168 billion have been approved by the government guarantee. as long as you keep your payroll intact you will be forgiven the loan. our estimates are we are going to run out of money for the small business thing april 17. that's why we would like the congress to help us with an additional $250 billion. on the rescue package we'll be

reaching 175 million americans. cash and liquidity to get through the period. lou: when do those direct payments to woking men and women in this country -- >> the assistance, the direct loans will be out next week. the small business loans, the actual cash flow is coming out now. yesterday and today as we speak. it's a gargantuan achievement and we want people to get through hopefully the last few weeks of this problem. the last point i want to make. president trump has done something no other administration has done.

he's using the private sector to help hip, assist him, whether it's testing or medicines and therapy, whether it's retailers or bio tech. the private sector has come through. it shows you the strength of america. once we get this reopening we'll go back to work and restore prosperity. lou: that is a mess and that's critically point for all of us to hear in the country, larry. i want to turn to china very quickly. it's clear they are committed to a disinformation cap pain the likes of which we have not seen, not by the russians, and not previously by the chinese. now it's important to see the u.s. chamber of commerce in the

face of this threat and all the pain and suffering and loss of life that has been the result of a virus that originated in china. it's time for the business community and wall street to line up with this president and let no daylight be between them and this president as he moves forward against so many threats and so many challenges. do you aguy? >> i do agree. and i thank you for it. this is a kudlow economic policy thought. we want as' american companies to come back home. one way to do that is 100% immediate expensing. plants, equipment, i.t., structures, renovations. in effect, immediate 100% expensing would pay the moving costs for american companies to come back home. that's one constructive way.

while we are at it, let's help the companies that stay in america with immediate expensing, too. to me that's the best way out of this dilemma. lou: i think the idea of decoupling business with china. that's a great idea. and of course retaining american business in this country. and as you say, absolutely essential. larry kudlow, always good to talk to you. we appreciate it. happy easter. the world health organization giving another oppressive regime cover in its reporting of the wuhan virus. the representative to north korea, edwin salvador defending north korea's report that it has ask zero confirmed cases of the

virus, despite sharing a border with both china and south korea. the w.h.o. says it's receiving weekly virus updates from the north korean regime. so who could question that. this is the world health organization that supported china's contention that the wuhan virus was non-contagious. british scientific journal "nature" apologized for its association of the wuhan virus with china. "naturing writing naming the virus covid-19 was a reminder to those who had been erroneously aassociating the virus with wuhan, including "nature." can you imagine "nature" falling

on it's ins in this fashion. those polls from harris found at least 52% of americans agree with using the term chinese virus to describe it. we prefer wuhan since that is the exact place it began. for that reason we are calling it the wuhan virus. forgive us, world health organization. kt mcfarland, former deputy national security advisor to president trump joins us. author of the new book, "we the people. " we commend your book highly to all. let's start with trump's poll numbers. he has been a formidable and his tore egg force. now with these -- and historic force. but now with these poll numbers

he's a force the democrats haven't had to deal with before. there will be a reckoning. >> he has these poll numbers in spite of the fact he has 100% disapproval ratings from the national washington press corps. fox news is the only network that is showing the press conferences in their entirety. the other cable net objection aren't showing them at all. they have bitter ankle biter's sitting around talking about trump. do you want to watch the network telling you information that's going to save your family or tune into the bitter little angry ankle biter's bitching about trump? the officials and the people

dealing with it on a minute-by-minute basis. lou: i have to say, and i love the language you have chosen, and i couldn't disagree with a single word or letter. this president is now being -- well, i love the idea that there is a group -- there are several groups of obviously superior intellects and forces of nature in their own right operating in journalism who condescend to give the president great counsel saying don't use twitter or social media. that diminishes our relevance and enhances your own base, and the because he's understanding of what you are doing. don't speak truth as he does. these are the same people that didn't want him to in any way

participate in his own press conferences on the coronavirus. it's just stunning to see time after time. the biggest advice that they can offer, the most frequent is of what you do, don't communicate with the american people. how can we preserve our lies and our own interpretation if you do that. it's absurd to watch. >> the media has a lot to answer for. they were useful idiots. the people who were advancing the cop tonight agenda without meaning to do so were not aware they were doing so. they were advancing russian disinformation. now they are advancing chinese disinformation with the chinese propaganda campaign. they hate trump so much that they can't see through to the

truth or care about the american people. >> useful idiots. the only word i would quibble with is useful in just how useful they are. i think the american people have caught up to them. there is a reason the president's polls are moving this high. the useful idiots exposed themselves to the american people. they know exactly what they are. but to look at "nature" magazine apologizing to china for referring to the wuhan virus as the china virus. they capitulated on a matter of fact which is the virus originated in wuhan. we have seen a movement in the left-wing media trying to

suggest that because some cases in this country originated from europe secondarily, the second place from wuhan. that suddenly it's a european virus. this is madness what i'm watching in so-called journalistic organization. >> and china is using this opportunity to buy at fire sale prices tech companies and resource cop any. when we are through this and the world recovers, are we going to wake up and find out we are in a new world order with chinese characteristicsistics. china is moving out to:purchase

supply chain companies, and they are buying them at bargain basement prices to our long-term detriment. lou: so the question becomes why isn't the world's greatest super power doing precisely that. why is not the strongest economy and richest establishment in the world doing just exactly that? i think there is no excuse for wall street or the chamber of commerce round table to sit here and disregard the fact that china is a communist authoritarian nation hell bent on domination. anyone who doesn't get that in my view is an abject fool. >> small businesses around the country and medium size businesses are lining up to help saying we'll change our assembly lines. we are all in this together.

i hope some of the wall street titans get the message and understand that a chinese world order isn't going to be very good for them in the long run either. lou: there are plenty of useful idiots in swank offices on wall street. but you know that. kt mcfarland, we thank you very much. we appreciate it. and as you say, in it together. great to have you with us. attorney general william barr says there was no basis, no basis for the corrupt fbi so-called crossfire hurricane investigation. you know, for the fbi investigated a presidential candidate, then a president of the united states. will we see anyone prosecuted? anyone in power during that apex of political corruption in the fbi and the justice department?

investigative journalist john solomon joins us. and one of the country's top hospitals launching a plasma therapy trial in hopes of curing patients with the wuhan virus. stay with us for that and much more, straight ahead. as the nation's doctor, i often get asked what should i do if i think i might have corona virus? people who are sick should stay home. you don't go to an emergency room. you don't go to a clinic. you get on the phone and you ask for advice and instructions from your physician. we don't want you to go into the e.r. or the doctor's office without talking to them first, because you might spread corona virus to someone else. please visit coronavirus.gov for more information.

sprinting past every leak in our softest, smoothest fabric. she's confident, protected, her strength respected. depend. the only thing stronger than us, is you.

[♪] lou: breaking news. the "new england journal of medicine" providing an update on a study about the effectiveness of the drug remdesivir on patients suffering from the wuhan virus. the "journal" tweeting this. a cohort of patients with severe covid-19 received treatment of remdesivir under a compassionate use protocol. an improvement of oxygen was

observed in 68% of the patients and more fat 13% over a median follow-up of 36 days. the may oh clinic is -- the mayo children i shall is conduct trials for people who may have an immunity to the wuhan virus. joining us tonight, the president of mayo clinic laboratories, co-chair of the mayo clinic's department of medicine and pathology. can i get your reaction to remdesivir and how you feel about it, its prospects as a therapeutic. >> the whole question of effective therapies for covid disease, the sars covid virus,

is it an important question to be answered? the trials show great hope. we'll need more extensive studies of these drugs to understand their true efficacy in helping control this disease. but these give us glimmers of hope. in the laboratories we are making sure we know who has the disease so we can measure the effect of these drugs. lou: we are all excited that a children wict prestige of the -- that a clinic with the prestige of the mayo, that you are working on a blood test on someone who has the disease or has overcome the disease. tell me where you are in that effort. >> there are two types of tests in battling this illness.

one is a molecular test. that test measures for the presence of the virus itself. what we have developed and introduced is a blood test which doesn't test for the virus, but tests to see if you have been exposed to the virus and had an immune response to it with a protein called an antibody. when you have them there are three things you can measure. number one, if someone has been exposed to the virus and generating an immune response and have a level of protective immunity. and you can identify people who can donate their plasma to be given to someone suffering from the disease to treat them and help nurse them through the illness. and there will be great focus and energy on vaccine trials. there is a great clamoring for

these amongst all nations. and this test can assess if someone responded to a vaccine and if that response is effective. lou: the critical necessity for effective testing is glaringly obvious to all of us, simple lay people. in fact we don't have that test yet. it's troubling and it means our public health officials are often flying absolutely blind in trying to responds therapeutically and trying to overcome the disease with anti-virals or whatever tools are at hands. so 0 your success -- so your success we are all praying for because you are the future of the country. it looks like this will be with us for quite a while. how far away are you from in

your judgment coming up with a test that is effective, safe and fast? >> well, the first two words, effective and safe are really important. there are many coronavirus, this is just a new one. making sure the test that goes out is specific for this virus is important because we'll make big decisions based on an individual and their ability to go back to work in a society where the virus has spread. we have to make sure that it is highly specific and highly sensitive. the test we have meets both of those characteristics. just today we are going to start making it available outside of mayo clinic which allows us to do testing around the country. lou: that's great news and continued good luck and success.

thank you, dr. phil morice of the mayo laboratories. up next, how the fbi failed to reveal christopher steele's ties to russia. i am totally blind. and non-24 can make me show up too early... or too late. or make me feel like i'm not really "there." talk to your doctor, and call 844-234-2424.

lou: newly declassified

footnotes from the justice department's inspector general michael horowitz' investigation of spygate uncovering essential evidence used by the fbi to spy on carter panel were in fact interference. the footnotes reveal beginning early on and continuing throughout the fbi's russia investigation or crossfire hurricane, fbi officials were in critical information streams that flowed to the dossier were likely tainted with russian intelligence disinformation. but the fbi aggressively advanced the probe anyway. joining us tonight, one of the country's leading investigative journalists, john solomon. editor-in-chief his new media

outlook, just the "america's news headquarters." just -- just just the news. we keep learning more and more about how corrupt the fbi and the justice department were. it's just absurd that we are still waiting for someone to be held accountable at the top of both of those organizations here in 2020. >> you are so right, lou. you can understand why attorney general barr said yesterday there was no basis to even open this investigation. we now know the fbi knew that christopher steele was paid for and working for the hillary clinton campaign. they knew he leaked to the media in violation of his contract. they knew he was desperate to

defeat trump and the information in the dossier was unverified and in some cases debunked. we know today that in 2015 the fbi knew christopher steele may have been the target of russian disinformation. and before we get robert mueller we find out another intelligence agency specifically told the fbi that some of the information in the dossier has been traced to the russians it's disinformation designed to ruin united states intelligence. lou: christopher steele with our very clever fellows and others in the justice department, national security division. why it would not occur to them that christopher steele was:perfectly aligned with

russian disinformation and objectives. and why would it not occur to them that he was more than simply a source or perhaps far more than that with the russian intelligence agencies? >> it's an interesting note. what the i.g. wrote, this is what the i.g. has been told. the i.g. was told for some reason the lead intelligence analyst never checked the delta file, the source file that the intelligence community keeps on a guy like steele. that's implausible from he fbi person i talked to in the last few days since i first broke this story. the first thing you do when a confidential human source comes forward. you check their dealta file. someone -- check -- you check

their delta file. someone made the choice not to do that. lou: the fbi could have followed a number of paths. but one would think there would be suspicion of someone who worked decidedly against the interests of a man who appeared to be the next president of the united states. instead they wanted to take on the obvious artifice saying steele was a reliable source of information and he was far from it. we talked about the importance of what john durham and bill barr will get done here in their investigation of the investigators. we are looking at most americans believe the fbi, 65%, simply would be somewhat likely or likely to spy illegally on the

american people. this is just more evidence of ways only reasonable to expect, given the level of corruption we have seen in both the department of justice and the fbi that has gone without any kind of accounting. >> listen, this is a red flag to chris wray that he hasn't done enough to assure the american public that the fbi understands wait did wrong and it's going to change it. chris wray has been very muted in accepting blame. it's now an indictment. when someone knocks on the door and an fbi agent asks for help, 65% of people think they might be asking illegally. there are many good agents up and count fbi who are paying the price for a small gaggle of

leaders under james comey and andrew mccabe to corrupted this fbi. lou: they may be paying a price or they may be complicit. we don't know, do we. but we do know that no one was punished for what they did in the upper echelons of the fbi and the justice department. it will be a long time before anyone looks at an fbi agent or justice department employee and says, there is someone serving the united states. don't you agree. >> i do agree. there has to be more accountability. i took a lot of solace in what the attorney general said yesterday, that they are working hard to get there. john solomon. thanks so much. we'll be right back. stay with us.

motor? nope. not motor? it's pronounced "motaur." for those who were born to ride, there's progressive.

lou: the trump campaign providing evidence of voter fraud after cnn's jim acould a questioned president trump's claim that mail-in voting was susceptible to fraud. the white house shared a heritage foundation document showing more than a thousand cases of voter fraud.

they found 9 people in texas charged with vote operative. a political operative was steeling absentee ballots. apparently mr. acosta was satisfied with the evidence. and showing biden's close ties to china and how he was wrong to criticize the president's ban on china to travel. >> every public health official we talked to said that bought the country time. >> that was a very smart move. >> xenophobia. >> i complimented him on dealing with china.

lou: joining us, charlie hurt, great to have you with us. that's a devastating ad. one of the best evidence seen in years. your thoughts? >> it is absolutely devastating. at a time like this when things have gotten very serious in this country. no matter where you are in the political spectrum, you can't help but take these times very seriously. you may not always like president trump and the way he handles his demeanor or style. but you can't deny the fact he is taking this seriously. he's a guy who is in charge. when you look over at joe biden, i don't think there is any time, any situation where joe biden presents as a particularly strong leader. but especially now when it's

literally a life and death pandemic, we see once in a century. joe biden is just not up to the mark. he has been in washington for 45 years. he's been part of the problem for 45 years. i think that ad as you pointed out sums it up:perfectly. lou: we are not seeing many ads about bernie sanders. he's taken the glory out of his march and is waiting for delegates to walk over to him, i guess. but sanders has done it again. he has been moved out of the way by the democratic party establishment and he goes without so much as a [bleep]. much -- -- not so much as a b leep. this followers has to be the

most downtrodden in the country. >> that phenomenon you are talking about contribute to president trump's victory in 2016. the fact we know the dnc pulled out all the stops, used he hook and crook they could to destroy bernie sanders in 2016 to make sure hillary clinton would get the nomination, even though bernie sanders was on fire four years ago. this year he was on fire again. he's the only sort of game in town among the democrats where there is real genuine enthusiasm behind him. yet again the democratic establishment has managed to kill the bernie enthusiasm. his supporters, i can't imagine how frustrated they are. it was strange listening to his speech the other night. his concession speech where he

was declaring victory. i don't know where he declares victory in a speech where he's basically saying egg he fought for lost to the guy who has been around for 45 years, part of the problem for 45 years. and joe biden is one of the prehe meanpre -- one of the pren phone policy. you can ask joe biden where he is on any position, and when he tells you you know that's the wrong position. the only place in the world a guy like joe biden succeeds is washington, d.c. for those bernie supporters to have to get behind that old tired washed up agenda, i don't know how bernie sanders calls it

a victory. and i don't know how they wind up with a victory in november with that kind of disunity in the party. lou: polling is showing the are * is likely to pull about 50% more of those bernie followers than he did in 2016. and that could be significant as well in what appears to be a victory awaiting him come november. charlie hurt, always good to have you here. thanks so much and happy easter. during his news briefing he explained how he will virtually attend easter services this sunday. president trump: on easter i will be with pastor -- i don't know if he knows it yet --

pastor robert jeffress. he's a terrific guy, a terrific man. i have gotten to know him well. he's a guy of great compassion. he loves our country. i will be with hi -- be with him watching on my laptop. lou: pastor robert jeffress is a member of the white house faith initiative, pastor of the first baptist church of dallas. i think it's fun that the president is going to be tuning in to you on easter. >> i prepared the mess and. i haven't delivered it yet. why the resurrection of jesus christ matters and hope it gives

us even in the midst of this coronavirus. we are so honored to have the president visit with us virtually on easter sunday. but millions of christians around the country love him because of his commitment to ridge liberty and they appreciate his yong leadership through this crisis. we hope it's an even kow -- we s an encouragement to him. lou: the president speaking poignantly about the upon of easter and what the day means for us all. let's continue to some of the fronts against religion. a judge in texas stopping a ban against abortions during this type of national emergency.

then mysteriously trying to joe turn an appellate -- trying overthrow an appellate court that overthrough his june the. >> the left has demanded that abortion be considered an essential sum are you. it's unthinkable that the judge would say we ought to tie up medical facilities, endanger the health of healthcare workers in order to kill babies. it's absolutely unthinkable. i would just hope that president trump would dug this first debate -- during his:first debate with sleepy joe biden. joe, do you think abortion is an essential sunn surgery that coud

cause the death of coronavirus patients? lou: i'm interested in what vice president mike pence had to say to you. you were on the phone on a conference call with the president. your thoughts about the president and the vice president entering this easter weekend. >> the president and the vice president led a faith call with february,000 fait -- with 10,00h leaders. it was imams and pastors and rabbis. and one of the things the president did that i'm so grateful for, in this paycheck protect plan, they understand

they have employees they need to keep on the payroll. this president is the most faith-friendly president in history. lou: and he's living it. i think already people in 2016 as they went to the polls didn't realize he would be first of all as supportive as he promised, christians in this country and all people of faith. he's truly an inspirational leader in that regard. >> he is. and that's why he's going to turn out. that's why evangelicals are going to continue out in a record number in november to re-elect this president. i believe that with all my heart. this is a great time to remember the promise of eternal life

jesus christ avalanches us. lou: amen. thanks for being with us. we hope you have a great easter weekend. we thank you for being with us. liz: hi, i'm elizabeth mcdonald with "the evening edit." the white house coronavirus task force had a meeting at the white house. dr. deborah birx said it looks like new cases may be leveling off. california, washington state, and maybe new york. we are not out of the woods yet. the south and the midwest are still seeing issues. let's welcome my next guest, a republican from ohio. he's also