çóñ■ñ■x■x■x■x■x■x■x■x■x■x■x■x■xo male announcer: thank you for joining us on this episode. female: the outbreaks of covid-19 in many u.s. states are growing-- male: an unprecedented surge in new coronavirus cases. female: intensive care units are full. david lipson: america is in crisis. male: milestone. three million cases of the coronavirus. female: number of cases now surpassing 4 million. david: coronavirus is burning its way through communities right across the nation. its economy in trouble. its streets are in turmoil. male: --has become more present with no signs of letting on. david: and its people feel betrayed. phil robinson: we are the law of the land.

david: a great and powerful nation is at war with itself. male: we're not really interested in pretty. we're interested in justice. david: and there's an election come november. londa gatt: if trump doesn't win, i think we're in a world of hurt. ♪ o'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ and the home of the brave. ♪♪ ♪ pennsylvania ♪♪ david: well, we're on assignment for the first time since the virus lockdown began in early march, and it's great to be out on the open road, but a second wave of infections is still very worrying, so we've taken our own accommodation with us to try to limit our exposure to the virus. and we're rolling through several of the states that made

up what used to be known as the "blue wall" that donald trump smashed down in 2016, handing him the presidency, to many people's surprise. ♪♪♪ david: our road trip will take us from pennsylvania, through the now marginal ohio, and to the pivotal state of michigan. here in pennsylvania, donald trump won the last election by less than 1%. it's a battleground, and he's slumping in the polls. our first stop is wrightsville on the banks of the susquehanna river. ♪♪♪

david: wrightsville is steeped in revolutionary history. jim switzenberg: i'll have your salsas for the tacos, side of green and a side of red. we just got another 730 to go, so just treat that like an order fire. david: it's independence day, and restauranteur jim switzenberg is getting ready to celebrate. jim: honestly, i'm particularly happy with tonight in the fact that we're one of the municipalities in the east coast that's doing fireworks, and, quite frankly, it's a celebration of american freedom. david: tonight nearly didn't happen. governor tom wolf shut the state down hard and early when coronavirus arrived. tom wolf: the spread of covid-19 is increasing at an exponential pace. we cannot allow this virus to overwhelm our hospitals. david: it became a politically charged issue. male: gimme liberty, or gimme death. david: of saving lives or saving the economy.

male: does not mean that we're gonna sacrifice our freedoms for our safety. david: jim switzenberg protested, too, as his business struggled to survive. jim: did it impact us tremendously? yes. it was angry, scared, and fearful all at the same time. hard to sleep for a bunch of days. david: as the state restrictions ease, jim cheers on the ideals of freedom that founded the nation. jim: today is the celebration of us deciding that we are a country that is about the people, and everyone is gonna be equal in america forever. david: he's a swing voter whose main concern is getting the country moving again. jim: i'm very cautious talking about the trump, just because there is so--it's so polarized america.

do i think he's the best president we ever had? probably not. but is he the change we need right now? probably. do i wanna see him re-elected? i'm not sure. i just would like to see career politicians go away. [crackng] ♪♪♪ ♪ i shall not, i shall not be moved. ♪ ♪ like a tree that's standing by the water, ♪ ♪ i shall not be moved. ♪♪ david: the rust belt of the northeast suffered decades of economic decline, and people here feel betrayed by governments of both stripes. industry restructuring in the 1980s saw 2 million workers lose their jobs.

♪♪♪ david: donald trump's promise in 2016 to make america great again resonated with white working-class men. in the four years since, things haven't changed much for these veterans in johnstown, pennsylvania. male: we just served 91 cars in 45 minutes. great job. [people cheering] david: they still call in here once a month for charity food and, despite what the polls say, these men still like trump. david: who did you vote for in 2016 and who are you gonna vote for this year? male: i voted for donald trump, and i'm gonna vote for him again. so is my wife. male: if i was forced to go vote, i would probably put my support behind trump and the republican party.

david: fields of corn greet us in ohio. it's a wealthy state with an economy the size of some countries. trump needs ohio. no republican has ever been elected president without it. at edison, we stumble on what we thought was a virus-testing line. david: we're from australian tv. what are you guys doing? male: food pantry. david: oh, food pantry, is it? even in the heart of america's food basket, the local baptist church feeds between 2 and 3,000 people a month. female: we love jesus, so we just wanna do what needs to be done. female: amen. amen. david: trump's christian support is slipping, but not here. david: this trump country? female: it is. as you're driving around you're probably seeing lots of trump signs. there are some who aren't crazy about our p-o-t-u-s, but this

gal loves donald trump. david: and you, ma'am? female: yes, sir. all the way. both: trump all the way. female: we are. female: trump all the way. david: what is it you like about him? female: his honesty. i know he's rough and there are times i wish, "hush. be a little nicer," but he's not afraid to speak his mind. david: in 2016, trump won ohio by over 8%, but he's in trouble in the vast swathe of suburbs like this one on the outskirts of columbus in ohio, and his campaign is preparing for a fight they didn't expect. jennifer dunaway: my name is jennifer dunaway, and i am a professional soccer mum. jennifer: okay, hold on. let's get it up on the table. jennifer: i run a soccer academy and a soccer blog, and i have six little soccer players.

david: jennifer and her husband are life-long republicans. jennifer: we always voted based on pro-life issues, first and foremost, which automatically makes you republican. david: they're disheartened by the president's virus response. jennifer: we have the medical professional is telling us one thing, and then we have our political leaders either telling us something else, or scoffing at it. it's really hard to respect what comes out of the white house when it is constantly changing and constantly contradicting itself. david: but that's not the main reason that, come november, she'll do something she's never done before. jennifer: i will vote for joe biden. i will. i can't vote for donald trump because of just the person that he is. he doesn't represent me and my values. i mean, that is one of my biggest problems with donald

trump, is that he has a hard time being kind. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ male radio host: we've got a busy show because, frankly, the world has gone mad. on monday, the state of michigan reported 489 new daily-- david: michigan is surrounded by the great lakes. since the days of hunters and fur traders, the concept of freedom has been hotly defended here. trump won michigan by just a few thousand votes last time, and he's desperate to win it again. when the pandemic arrived, the democrat state governor, gretchen whitmer, brought in decisive measures to shut down the state.

gretchen whitmer: today, i'm issuing a stay-home, stay-safe executive order for all michiganders. [crowd protesting] david: it triggered the virulent politics now playing out nationally. the handling of the public health crisis fell victim to a partisan brawl. gretchen: we're still not getting what we need from the federal government. without a comprehensive natial strategy, we, the states, must take action. male: michigan finding itself in the president's crosshairs today. donald trump: michigan, she has no idea what's going on and all she does is say, "oh, it's the federal government's fault." and we've taken such great care of michigan. tucker carlson: she's moved aggressively to seize even more control. brian kilmeade: these restrictions are ridiculous. tucker: why do they have to a uncomfortable questions about what governor whitmer is doing? they should shut up, and if they don't we're gonna arrest 'em. that's her position.

brian: i feel bad for law enforcement. they have to enforce these ridiculous rules. david: a series of protests denouncing the governor culminated in threatening scenes inside the capitol building. phil: --so everybody is getting in there. male: open the door. open the door. you betrayed us. the police have betrayed the people. you're filthy rats. donald: well, these are people expressing their views. they seem to be very responsiblpeople to me. all: let us in. let us in. female: some members of the michigan state legislature are wearing bulletproof vests today. [shooting guns] male: oh, it's good. david: michigan liberty militia are particularly upset by the lockdown measures. phil robinson is one of the founders. phil: it was a stomp on our constitutional rights. i mean, executive order is not law, so we all comply

to unconstitutional laws. david: people entering the capitol with those long arms, how do you view that? phil: it should be accepted. it's our right to do that here in the state of michigan. the capitol is we the people's house, and it's a public building. it's everybody's house. david: what do you think of people that say they were intimidated, that they thought it was scary? phil: my rights don't end where your feelings begin. just because you don't like something doesn't mean that i have to change what i like or do. i will fight for my rights physically, whatever i have to do. yes, i will fight to defend my rights, my children's rights. ♪♪♪ ♪ who's that writing? ♪ ♪ john the revelator. ♪ ♪ who's that writing? ♪ ♪ john the revelator. ♪ ♪ who's that writing? ♪♪ david: in the state's largest city, detroit, almost 80% of people are african american.

it's a democrat stronghold. it was decimated by coronavirus. ♪♪♪ jamon jordan: on every level, covid has exposed inequality in america, and, yes, this has totally-- david: jamon jordan conducts black-history tours around the city and through it caught covid-19. the virus claimed his mother. jamon: i was sick, but she got sick, and she was gone within 5 days of her 14-day quarantine, less than a hour of arriving at the hospital by ambulance. david: it must just be so galling for you to look at people protesting in lansing at the lockdown. jamon: they got guns, and they're standing in front of law enforcement, and nobody tackles one of 'em.

nobody puts a knee on their neck. they almost don't even get arrested, and they're shouting in the faces of officers. yes, it is appalling, because african americans, of course, are dying at a higher rate. they're less likely to have health insurance. they're less likely to be treated correctly by the health system. more likely to do the jobs that are most likely to get them in the position of catching this horrible disease, which is, to me, part of the reason why they went to lansing. this is a disease that is killing that group of people, and so we don't want to be restricted because they're dying. [ice-cream truck playing song] jamon: as a historian and looking at the way history goes, i'm not an optimist about where we're headed right now. david: he sees a mixed enthusiasm for voting around him.

jamon: well, i'm seeing people who just feel like there have to be a change, and they really, really wanna vote. and there's other people who feel like this is it. there's no chance of anything changing. it's gotten so bad that they're disgusted with the whole system, and they don't believe that there's--anything works. [ice-cream truck playing song] all: black lives matter. black lives matter. black lives matter. black lives matter. jae bass: say what? all: black lives matter. jae: one more time. all: black lives matter. david: protests have been held here every day since the police killing of george floyd. all: george floyd. jae: now say her name. all: breonna taylor. jae: tell me, what do we do? david: in 2016, voter turnout was low here. the challenge for the democrat campaign is to translate this activism into actual votes.

jae: has a lot to do with the current president, as he's super oblivious to the current social problems that we have. male: black lives matter. yes. jae: but, at the same time, it's not just him. it's not just the position of the president. it's not just the position of the vice-president or whoever's in leadership. it's the entire system, and we gotta break that entire system. david: the rate of covid-19 infection in the bck community is four times higher than the rest of the state. they were the city's essential workers during the shutdown. desha hargrove's husband drove buses for the city. desha hargrove: he wasn't just a bus driver. he also was a deacon in his church. that spiritual peace, he had that.

gentle giant and, you know, jason was a big, loving--jason was a big guy, so he can come off as intimidating when you first meet him. he's 6'3", but he had a heart of gold. david: jason made headlines three days after the first covid death in michigan. a passenger coughed in the bus, and he livestreamed his distress. jason hargrove: some folks don't care, utterly don't give a f-- excuse my language, but that's how i feel rig about now. for a growna-- person in her late 50s, earl60s to sta on the f-- bus and cough 4, 5 times without covering up your mouth, and you know we're in the midst of a motherf-- crisis with this coronavirus, i am pissed the f-- off. desha: two days later, he was like, "hey.

i just don't feel--i'm starting--i don't feel well." david: as he got sicker, he made two trips to the local hospital, sinai grace, but they wouldn't admit him. eventually, struggling to breathe, he asked his son to drive him in once more. desha: "i love you." he says, "i love you, too, baby." i said, "call me," so i waited, and i waited, and i waited all night just for him to give me an update, let me know what's going on. and i would never get that update. i never got it. david: while she's grieving, she's been laid off from her job as a barista, and she's worried about how to pay the bills.

she's also facing another problem: the family's health-insurance policy was tied to jason's work. desha: as of last month, i'm not covered. david: does that worry you now? desha: of course, like... ...of course. david: desha is encouraging people not to waste their vote. desha: we have to do so much more than what we're doing. and for those who are not voting at all, you gotta do it. it's detrimental. like, we--you have to. you have to. it's so much more important, you know, now than ever before, i believe.

david: an hour out of detroit, i have an appointment in what feels like an alternate universe. [david knocking] david: hey, londa. david. londa: oh, david. you're the guy that i talked to on the phone. david: yeah, yeah. londa: oh, hi. nice to meet you. david: how you doing? good to meet you. londa: good. nice to meet you, too. david: thanks for having us. londa: you wanna come in? david: yeah, sure. david: londa gatt is an ardent trump supporter, as well as a mother and a hairdresser. londa: all right, how did you want me to trim your hair exactly, mom? cathy: you're the hairdresser. londa: just do what i normally do? cathy: her and i talk politics all the time. we believe the same way, so it's easy to talk politics with her. like, all of these riots and protests, it's not about george floyd. they're slowly leading america into socialism and-- londa: it's a test run. one world order.

cathy: yeah, that's what it is. i believe that. i believe that whole-heartedly that's what's going on. david: londa's mother, cathy, doesn't think much of the virus, either, or isolating at home. cathy: i was at a store the other day, and a lady, she said "you're one of those people that aren't supposed to be out." and i said, "well, yeah, i am out. and you know what? i'm not scared. i don't believe it's as bad as they say it is." londa: this has been blown out, the virus, way out of proportion. cathy: yeah, it is. yeah. cathy: got a nice haircut. londa: twenty dollars. no, i'm just kidding. [laughing] david: londa's offered to show me her trump room. she's deeply afraid for america and believes he's been sent by god to save the country. david: this is a cool room. th is your man. londa: yeah. i got that as a christmas card--present from my kids.

he's bada-- you know what we like about him? he speaks the truth. he exposes the corruption that was never known to the public, and they've got away from it for i don't know how many decades. when i met him, i whispered in his ear, and i said "listen," i said, "you're gonna fry them, right, hillary?" he goes, "don't you worry." he goes, "i'll take care of her." i pray for him a lot. he's had a lot of attas on his life, except you don't hear about it. david: londa spends a lot of time on facebook, where she reads about conspiracies that have been discredited, but she believes are true. londa: you ever heard of q? david: qanon? londa: yep. yeah. they leak a lotta information, but they talk in code. so, here--i don't usually show this, but i made the national dean's list. david: she did a nursing degree, gaining honors.

londa: got my bachelor's. i was the first person in my family. my mom only went till 8th grade, yeah, so for me to do that was huge. this picture right here is we're invited to a vip party at the white house. david: mm-hmm. trump galore. he's like a superhero for you almost, isn't he? londa: i think if he doesn't win america is screwed, really, in my opinion. and i was never involved in politics in my life, but when he exposed everything that he did, i just voted. i've never been engaged and got in, you know, the front ground, you know, whatever you wanna call it, until i found out what, you know, what was going on in our country. and.. i battled having children, sorry, because of how america was 30 years ago. david: londa remembers the 1980s, when the great america

she knew ended abruptly. londa: "you know, should i have kids? should i not have kids?" and then, i thought, "okay i'm just gonna give it to god," you know? and then, when trump exposed all this, i'm like, "i gotta do something for--to try and help make a difference for my kids, for the future of america," you know? so, it's why i got involved. david: and you never looked back? londa: yeah. you can't look back, you know? you just gotta keep going. sorry. david: it's all right. londa: i just love my kids so much. david: and is that what all of this is about, really, when it comes down to it, for you? londa: yeah, it's about saving america for the future, you know, generations, for them, you know, for the grandkids, and stuff like that. ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ david: londa heads up the michigan chapter of bikers for trump. nationally, the group helped the president win in 2016, and they're gearing up to campaign again. today, they're rallying in the state capital to reassert the constitutional right of a citizen to join a well-regulated militia. ♪♪♪ david: and donald trump and the election aren't far from people's minds. male: my fellow patriots, we are gathered here today to demand life. we're here to demand liberty. we're here to demand the pursuit of happiness again in america. [crowd cheering]

male: -- we see the red, when we see the white, when we see the blue-- [crowd cheering] male: our next speaker, guys, is a founding member of the michigan liberty militia. david: a group campaigning for black justice arrives to mount a counter-protest. male: we will not stand for the destruction of our state, of our country. you will not terrorize us. you will not defund our boys and girls in blue. male: who do you wanna deal with? stand up. every one of 'em that fought for our country is ashamed of you. paul birdsong: there's over 500 of us, but not all of us are here. and we left our guns because we didn't wanna seem as if we were approaching aggressively. phil: this is a absolute joke, man.

these are children, children, acting like two-year-olds. coming here and disrupting our event, a peaceful event. david: did it stuff up your speech? phil: i had a good speech ready and, yeah, totally off, just gone, 'cause i'm an emotional person. ♪♪♪ londa: who in the hell do they think they are? that's what i'm sick of. i'm sick of all the bulls-- all the whining and crying. i think the deep state is behind this just to create chaos, to try to keep us locked down till the election is over, but they don't get it. it doesn't matter what they do. i believe in my heart god put him there. trump's gonna win. ♪ america, america-- ♪ david: as we head back, i've seen that the divisions here

are deeply entrenched. ♪ be nobleness and every gain-- ♪ david: obviously, the election is hugely important in november, but it's not everything. there are many more problems that america has to face. david: it's hard to know what will come next for america. as the great president abraham lincoln once said, "a house divided against itself cannot stand." ♪ majesties above the fruited plain. ♪ ♪ america, america, ♪ ♪ god shed his grace on thee. ♪ ♪ he crowned thy good in brotherhood ♪

♪ from sea to shining sea. ♪♪