>> brennan: welcome back to "face the nation." we want to go now to governor asa hutchinson of arkansas, a state that this week had it's largest spike in hospitalizations since the pandemic began. good morning to you, governor. >> governor: good morning. good to be with you, margaret. >> brennan: i'm sorry to hear about this spike in hospitalizations. that means people are getting quite ill. your affection rate is also up. i saw your state was one of 15 that have added more cases in the past week than any other seven-day stretch. this doesn't sound like rounding the curve. >> governor: no. it is very concerning. and that's a statistic i watch, both the deaths and hospitalizations. i do think that people who get ill want to go into the hospital quicker because they can start their treatment. they have a better chance of recovery.

so i think that is a little bit of a factor. right now our hospitalization space is tight. we have adequate space, but we watch it very carefully. and the spike in cases that we've seen is a concern. i think it reflects what we're all looking at nationwide in terms of going into the winter, a combination of flu, the combination of more indoor settings. so it is concerning. and we're making preparations for it. but we have to really pull together to follow the guidelines that are necessary to keep the economy moving, but at the same time make sure we don't increase that spread. >> brennan: when you say preparations are being made, do you need to set up field hospitals as alternates to your current hospitalization? >> governor: as the mayor indicated, we have contingency plans. but we have more than adequate space right now in our hospitals. the challenge is, of course,

there are a lot of other health care needs that you don't want to reduce or put aside because you're dealing with covid patients. so we have more than adequate ventilators, i.c.u. space. staffing is a challenge for our hospitals because it's becoming a national competitive environment to recruit staff with contractors, to move them to hotspots and other places. and so that is the most consistent challenge that our hospitals are facing. preparation-wise, we're working very closely with them. but it is primarily individual responsibility of our citizens to do what is necessary and pull together. increase usage of masks. you see in arkansas, in compliance with the mask mandate that we have in place. >> brennan: you are a republican governor, and you're calling for more mask-wearing. our cbs polling shows that in virtually every state, when the question is asked, likely voters tell us the trump

administration's efforts have hurt more than helped state's covid response is. the fact that the president doesn't wear a mask and endorse it, even though he says he is okay with it, does that hurt your ability to persuade your constituents to do what ou are telling is best for them? >> governor: well, it makes it confusing. he has made it very clear that wearing a mask is important. i saw him wearing a mask going into the polls yesterday. but obviously with the rallies, there is confusing messages there. the president and leaders in crisis always need to do two things: one is to be truthful and realistic. and everyone knows we're going through a very difficult crisis, and it is going to likely get worse as we go into the winter. secondly, you've got to give the american people hope. and that is the vaccine that the administration is working incredibly hard for. i spoke with secretary az

azar this week, talking about the partnerships of the state and vaccine distribution, and they're working hard at the white house level, but the communication is an important part as well. >> brennan: the pfizer c.e.o., when he was on our program recently, he said he thinks it is difficult for the government to hand distribution. are you confident that even when a vaccine becomes available you'll have full access and ability to get it to your constituents? >> governor: actually, there will be a utilization of the private sector in the vaccine distribution. it will go directly from the federal warehouse, or from the manufacturer, straight to the point of distribution in the state, with the state acting more like a traffic cop to make sure it gets to the right place. but the private sector will be absolutely utilized in this. these plans are still being developed, but we've submitted our plan. it will band we'll be getting a

response to that from the white house probably next week. >> brennan: i want to ask you about another thing that our battleground tracker has shown in three different southern states. when likely voters are pulled, they say it is inappropriate for the president to lead the chant "lock her up." you know there has been an f.b.i. plot to kidnap and kill her. you're the top republican on the national governors' association. there are threats that have been reported against multiple governors. do you think it is appropriate to lead these kind of chants given the level of tension and threats? >> governor: well, that's not a chant i would ever participate in. you know, we need to have a more civil discourse. even though it's a hotly contested presidential race. we need to lead by example. whether it is a president, whether it is his staff, or whether it is a governor or any public

official that has ahreats made against them, and we have to take that security seriously. i'm very delighted that she is safe and also that the law enforcement did such a great job on that case. >> brennan: governor, thank you very much. good luck to you. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ ♪

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(four girls vo) the polls! voted! (grandma vo) go out and vote! it's so important! (man at poll vo) woo! (grandma vo) it's the most important thing you can do! >> brennan: we're back now for our weekly check-in with dr. scott gottlieb. good morning to you. >> doctor: good morning. >> brennan: you warned us last sunday we are entering what could be the hardest part of this pandemic as we get into these colder months. we're seeing these infection hospitalization rates really jump. where are we on the trajectory, as you see it? >> doctor: we're at a dangerous tipping point right now. we're entering what is going to to be the deep slope of the epidemic rate. these cases are going to

continue to increase. we have a moment of opportunity right now to take some forceful steps to try to abate the spread that is under way. but if we don't do that, if we miss this window, this is going to continue to accelerate and it will be more difficult to get under control. in a lot of parts of the country, it doesn't feel really, really bad right now because it is a little bad everywhere. when you don't have regions where it is extremely dense in one region, like when it was epidemic in the north or south, outside of states like wisconsin or iowa, most states just have a lot of spread, but they're not extremely pressed right now. that is going to change over the next two or three weeks. so we need to take some steps right now. there is no public support for shutdowns nationally, like we did in the spring. that is not going to happen. so we need to reach for other measures. >> brennan: you heard the national security advisor to the president say the focus is on protecting the vulnerable, the chief-of-staff, mark meadows, said on cnn, we're not going to get control of the pandemic.

is the point here just buckle up? >> doctor: well, i think that's what they're saying. but i don't think that's what we should be doing. there are things we can do to slow the spread. a national mask mandate can be put into place. it doesn't need to be backed up with fines. we have other requirements we expect of a civil society, with political job voting and leadership. we give people warnings. masks are one thing we could be did. we need to look at starting to close congregate settings. even if we get a vaccine this year, and i'm on the board of pfizer -- even if that becomes available this year, and we get shots into the arms of the first trench of patients, the elderly and health care workers, they're not going to have protective immunity until 2021 because it takes time for that vaccine to kick in and you need two doses. this vaccine is not going to affect the contours of what we're going to go

through in the next two or three months. >> brennan: and the c.d.c. has said masks are the best plan for the moment. last week you told us if someone is going to vote in person, they should have a high-quality mask. you said that meant not a cloth mask. walk us through what the safest masks are. >> doctor: the masks serve two purposes: one is to protect other people from you, so if you're asymptomatic or prepre-symptomatic, you will protect other people. and the other is to provide you some measure of protection. if you want a mask to afford you some protection from other people, quality matters. the cloth mask may be 30% protective, a level two or three mask may be about 60% affective. and n-95 mask or what we called an ffp2 mask, that

could be 90% or 95% protective. so wear a higher quality mask. if you only can get a cloth mask, thickness matters, and those with polyester, and a combination of polyester and co cotton do better. >> brennan: thank you. at the white house, masks are not mandatory, and we know that the vice president had close contact with staffers who have tested positive. the c.d.c. advises everyday people to isolate or quarantine if they have that kind of contact. the vice president is not doing that. is he putting others at risk by campaigning? >> doctor: look, he could be closely monitored. the short answer is yes, but you can closely monitor the vice president. i can see why they wouldn't want to guarantee the president. he should be wearing a high-quality mask at all times, distancing wherever possible.

they should be serially testing him. and there are ways to provide protection around the vice president and to protect other people. but they need to be very complicit about the risks that they're taking. i think everyone right now in the white house should be wearing a mask. they have an obligation to protect the vice president and the president and not introduce virus into that setting. they certainly have access to proper protective equipment. they have access to serial testing as well. one thing they might consider for the vice president is using one of these antibody drugs as a propro phylactic. >> brennan: and he would have access to something like that, whereas you and i would not have access at this pointologye point. on the vaccine, operation warped speed,

announced their timeline. they said by the end of january, all seniors will be vaccinated. by march or apin april 2021, they should be able to vaccine everyone. and he is confident by june everyone in the u.s. will be immunized. is that realistic? >> doctor: i think it is aggressive. this is if the trials provide that the vaccines are safe and effective. we believe that is going to be the case. but you don't know until you turn over the card on those trials. assuming things go well, there is a chance they could roll out this vaccine in time to get the elderly population in the united states vaccinated. but they need to wait a month to get the second dose until they have protective immunity from the vaccine. you're looking at 2021 until the immunity kicks in. i think it is unrealistic

to think we'll have a vaccine widely available for general distribution and authorized by the f.d.a. until probably the second quarter of 2021. >> brennan: understood. thank you, dr. gottlieb. we'll be back in a moment. when you humble yourself under the mighty hand of god, in due time he will exalt you. hi, i'm joel osteen. i'm excited about being with you every week. i hope you'll tune in. you'll be inspired, you'll be encouraged. i'm looking forward to seeing you right here. you are fully loaded and completely equipped for the race that's been designed for you.

>> brennan: as part of our continuing efforts to hear from voters in the coronavirus pandemic, on friday night we zoomed with six voters, evenly divided on their voting preference. they were also divided on their thoughts about the impact of the virus on this campaign. we're looking at numbers across the country. and i know, chelsea, you are in indiana, i believe. so you're right in the middle of the midwest, where there is a tremendous spike right now. what do you think the impact will be on the election from covid? >> generally, i think the lack of response is, um, energizing people to vote. i'm pretty positive that just how chaotic this has all been and there hasn't been, like, a very clear

this is what we should be doing has really frustrated a lot of people. and because of that, they want to see someone else who might actually have a plan or might try and take charge. >> brennan: what is it that you see in joe biden's plan that makes you think it would respond to the crisis? >> well, actually listening to scientists. you've heard trump call fauci an idiot, which i think is really dangerous. he's gone back and forth, and hasn't really even taken a position on mask-wearing. joe biden is at least for mask-wearing. >> my concern with the coronavirus is quite simply there has not been any transparency about it. when it first came up, it didn't seem -- maybe i was missing something -- but it didn't seem as important. when you make a mistake

and say you can take bleech tbleach to cure coronavis and then you say you were just kidding, well, people are dying. you can't get on television, no matter who you are, and say take bleach and you were just kidding. that is nothing to kid about. >> brennan: will all of you, show of hands, take a vaccine when one becomes available? mildred, i was reading that you miss hugging your grandkids. and the social isolation you're in, you still don't want to take a vaccine? >> i do want to be around my grandkids. but i think being a guinea pig, i won't be here for my grandkids and i won't get that hug. so therefore, i won't be the first one taking a vaccine. >> no vaccine is 100%

affective, especially with the viruses because they mutate so much. so i just think that trump has put his foot up the collective butt of the f.d.a. to get them to do their job in a timely manner and not just push paper like bureaucrats typically do. >> brennan: so you would take one tomorrow if it became available? >> absolutely. >> brennan: dave, you, too? you're saying yes? >> absolutely. and it is not up to him to release the drug. it is the f.d.a. until the f.d.a. releases it, you're not going to get it anyway. >> brennan: i wonder who all of you think bears the most responsibility for the spread of this virus in the united states? do all of you believe in wearing masks? can you raise your hands if you wear a mask. beth, you don't wear a mask? >> i do in public spaces where they insist that you do, but otherwise, no.

>> brennan: when you hear the statistics that are rattled off by the c.d.c. director or you hear dr. fauci saying wearing a mask could really stop the spread, why do you doubt that? >> because a virus is a virus. the particle is so teeny tiny that it can't be seen without a microscope. while pro phylacticlymay help, certainly if i was around someone who was old and ill, i would do it, but the virus is a virus. it is so small. i think your best offense is a really good defense. be healthy, eat well, exercise well, sleep well. >> brennan: do you believe that the united states could have done better in its response to the virus? a show of hands.

beth, dave, and walter, you all think that the response was adequate. walter, you've lost friends? >> how do you respond to an unknown when you have absolutely no idea what it is. they acted to take care of people as best as they could. you shoot from the hip. i think that the job that was done was magnificent compared to the circumstances. >> brennan: when you look at the population in the united states and the access that is here, why don't you think that america should be leading the way? >> i think we are leading the way. i think the reason -- >> brennan: even though we have about 20% of the world's -- >> and all of the traffic that came into the country with the disease, whether they knew it or didn't know it. and in many of the instances, the way the states handled it, like

new york completely secured up their response, infated the death rates. >> brennan: so take president trump out of it, are you telling me that fault really lies with local governments? >> on the state level, it's gotten to a point, and it was obvious from the outcomes in new york and new jersey, that what they did was completely wrong. where along the line, the responsibility for taking on ownership of the virus and what needs to happen should go forward. it was communicated it is the governors who run the state's responsibility to do the things. the governors didn't know what to do. >> well, nobody did. >> nobody. but the buck stops -- in my household, what happens here, i'm responsible for. >> uh-huh. >> i'm responsible. so i can't do everything that needs to be done, but

i'm going to try to exemplify and acknowledge and take responsibility and go forward. >> i think it is just kind of wrong to say trump couldn't do anything because that interview came out -- i don't remember if it was january or february -- he knew how deadly it was, and he knew how it was spread, and yet he still didn't do anything. he said he didn't want to create a panic. people panic anyway. >> he didn't say anything. it's not that he didn't do anything. >> i think in this case, he absolutely needed to say something. because people were going around blindly not knowing what to do. if there was some kind of response from him, maybe governors and local governments might -- >> he did act. he shut down flights into the country. for which he was vilified for. and now the same people

who vilified him for shutting down the flights is saying he didn't do enough. you can't have it both ways. >> the c.d.c. said even if he didn't shut it down, it wouldn't have mattered because the virus was already here. >> january 31st -- >> but there was no response nationally -- >> but you don't know what you're dealing with. it is just like a fireman going to a fire. they assess the situation and then they move in. this is a lot different. you can see a fire. this you can't see. >> brennan: i want to give mildred the final word here. >> i don't think they knew what to do. this, when they started to think about it, you've got politicians and money that became involved. so the waters got muddied. very muddy. i just think a lot more could have been done to save lives at the federal level, at the sa state level,

and at the local level. >> brennan: we'll be right back. here's how my plan works. anyone making less than $400,000 a year won't pay a penny more, and i'm going to ask the very big corporations to pay their fair share. we're going to invest in creating millions of good-paying jobs. we're going to ease the burden of the major cost in your life- health care. we're going to protect social security and increase the benefits for millions of seniors. when i announced i was running, i said that's the reason, to rebuild the backbone of this country: hard-working folks of the middle class. i'm joe biden and i approve this message. laso you can enjoy it even ifst you're sensitive. se. hard-working folks of the middle class. yet some say it isn't real milk. i guess those cows must actually be big dogs. sit! i said sit!

>> brennan: that's it for us today. thank you for watching. next sunday >> brennan: that's it for us today. we will join you from our cbs news election headquarters in new york. until then, for "face the nation," i'm margaret brennan. ♪ captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

. you are asking us to learn to die with it. and it's wrong. the white house changing its tune on a virus victory. >> we are not going to control the pandemic. >> they are admitting defeat. >> as the outbreak spreads inside the administration again. also tonight, despite the surging virus, early voters out in force at home and abroad. >> we are worried about things like whether our vote will cast fwlmpt dangerous forecast. california faces an extreme weather threat, as snow dampens wild fire