♪ me and you listening to the rain ♪ ♪ me and you we are the same ♪ ♪ me and you have all the fame we need ♪ ♪ indeed, you and me are we ♪ ♪ me and you singing in the park ♪ ♪ me and you, we're waiting for the dark ♪ ♪ welcome to allstate, ♪ ♪are you down, d-d-down, d-d-down, d-d-down♪ where we're driving down the cost of insurance. ♪ ♪ are you down, down♪ ♪d-down, down? are you♪ drivers who switched saved over $700. ♪ allstate. here, better protection costs a whole lot less. you're in good hands. click or call for a lower rate today.

it is friday in the public reckoning. it may be losses in the long term. plus new cdc mask guidance for kids in school as pfizer pushes for a vaccine booster shot. the cdc and the fda saying not so fast. we'll talk to a governor struggling to get his own state vaccinated. fbi officials are going to help with the investigation into the assassination of haiti's president. welcome to friday. it is "meet the press daily." i'm chuck todd here in washington. a fence surrounding the capitol

put up because of pro-trump extremists. the dismandling of the fence is the most symbolic change since the insurrection six months ago. more substantive in the last six months since the deadly attack, the republican party got more radical and more committed to trumpism, not less. on january 6th, richard burr said in a statement that the president bears responsibility for today's events. he would go on to convict him in the impeachment trial. lindsey graham said that night count me out, enough is enough. that lasted about 24 hours. education secretary betsy devos resigned saying this is an inflection point for me if proved to be an inflection point for many in the republican party, but the turn they took was towards trump rather than away. look at the primaries shaping up for next year's elections.

let's take oklahoma. trump loyalists are backing a primary challenge to reliable -- he refused to reject the electoral count on january 6th. in ohio, the republican primary to succeed retiring senator rob portman is a race to the conspiratorial right and a contest to hug trump the hardest. candidate josh mandell continues to echo trump's lies about the stolen election. and j.d. vance had to backtrack on his past comments that were critical of trump telling time magazine that trump is the leader of the movement and if i care about the people and the things i say i care

about i need to suck it up and support him. it's important to note blind loyalty to donald trump was not a requirement, rob portman likely would have run again. for republicans running to the far right, they could win votes in the primary. they could also lose votes in the general, and in a lot of places if you can't at least be competitive with the independents, the folks that sit in the middle of this elector rate, you can't win. but it takes a very specific set of circumstances to give democrats a shot in any of these places, ohio, oklahoma, you name it. republicans may be doing their best to create those opportunities for democrats. ultimately losing elections may be the only thing that makes republicans re-examine what they allowed themselves to become.

joining me now is former republican carlos cabello. and nathan gonzalez, who is already knee deep in the midterm elections handicapping all of these primary races. carlos, let me get big picture here for you. we're six months ae three days from that insurrection. where do you think the republican party would be today? did you think it would be even trumpier? that's why we are, and i don't think a lot of us thought that on january 7th. >> a lot of us thought that perhaps republicans would wake up, turn the corner, turn the page. a lot of them did seem to make that decision on that day. you pointed out some examples. but it has gotten worse. you think about the 70 house republicans that voted to

certify the results, and only 35, about half, voted for a commission to discover the truth and the whole truth on what happened on the 6th of january. senators that voted almost unanimously on the 6th of january, they have also drifted back to trumpism. you get even mccarthy trying to steer the party on climate change and other issues. as soon as one of these trump themes comes up, the election of 2020, immigration, you see republicans snap back. the party should be successful if you look at history, but mitch mcconnell knows this because he is short four or five senate seats, missed opportunities for republicans, it could be another year of missed opportunities for republicans if they don't turn the page. >> nathan, is there a competitive primary on the

republican side of the aisle for a major state-wide office that doesn't revolve around trump right now? >> the short answer is no. in some places the former president already made his decision and made an endorsement and in other places like ohio he has yet to back a candidate. i think that right now the republican party, there are a few republicans that like how president trump acts and what he does and what he says, but for elected officials and for these potential candidates i think they see how popular he remains with the voters and they want the voters to either get into office or to remain in office, and he still exerts so much influence. one of the downsides to dismissing the election results, there is no need in their eyes to reach across the aisle. or to reach out to moderate

voters because they see the trump coalition as being sufficient when in reality it was not enough to hold the white house, to keep the senate, or to regain control of the house. that's where the republican party is caught. >> yeah, carlos, where did this lack of understanding math come from on the republican side of the aisle? donald trump performed excite the trifecta. he was the head of the party and in a two-year period he lost the house, the senate, and the white house. american history is littered with ex-presidents asked to not even show up at the convention. instead it is a blind loyalty the other way. >> that's right, chuck. look, this race to win the support and the approval of

druf is a race to a bottomless pit. you can't lie enough or ignore the truth enough, and that will get the candidates into big trouble come general election time. republicans understand that they are wrong. and this goal of being miled upon, it will make it very hard to win a general or to hold the presidency and meaningful and dur able majorities. >> i will bring up virginia. the former president decided to put out a second endorsement. he has been blasting the air waves without saying the world

republicans. hey, politics, what happened. he is desperately trying to shake the republican and trump label. wow, the numbers are looking good for glenn youngkin in his race against terri for governor of virginia. could terri mccauliffe gotten a better gift than that statement today? >> i think if he were, if we were closer to the general election, he would probably take that statement on the air and get a few thousand points of television points behind an ad. if this race, if this gubernatorial race is about do you support or like president trump or not, terri mccauliffe will win easily. what i do think of the virginia race, it will be interesting because i think in the short term the republican party will not become a bigger tent or more

moderate because of what republicans are going to do, but it could be because of what democrats do. if democrats are viewed as going too far and too fast on policy or cultural issues, that cold could drive some moderates. it could drive them into the republican tent. despite of president trump and what other officials do in the senate. >> carlos, what does a james langford do? he is a principaled conservative. he is as ethical as they come. he is a practicing pastor. he is one of two in the senate. and his sin is, essentially, abiding by the constitution. how do you beat back a primary challenge like that when the state party chair decided you

have committed a sin. they're going to senture them. i'm not talking about rinos, here. >> the best strategy is the strategy that a lot of house republicans have been following if they did vote for a january 6th commission. they went out to sell the truth in a very compelling way. a lot of people get very upset but you really have to stand up and say this is why i voted for the commission. because i stand with our capital police officers that were attacked that day. this is why i voted to certify the election. the results were valid and every court that heard a challenge rejected the challenges of the trump campaign. you cannot run away from the truth. you can't try to have it both ways because that's when you really get in trouble. you lose everyone.

so james langford and everyone else has to come out, sell the truth hard, own their votes, and try to convince their voters that what they're saying is true. >> nathan, it seems like the other issue is in some key places, you know, you're not getting the candidates that mitch mcconnell would want. and in another world, he would have been in arizona. hershall walker cleared the field even as they said they can't beat them, but he is the weakest. he pulled this off so far in missouri. this really impacted senate recruiting, as it not? >> yeah, i think there is a difference between the goals of president trump's mind and those trying to win back the house and

senate. what is interesting is that president trump's influence in the races where he endorsed or showed a preferred candidate, it has not cleared the field entirely. e he endorsed mo brooks. i think they want to have trump, but it is not a clear the field situation. when you look at the house and the senate, it's possible they do well and win the majorities without broadening the tent. republicans just need a single senate seat and they just need five seats in the house and they might be able to get almost all of those through redistricting alone nap would embolden republicans to continue on this path if they can win majorities

without changing the skoek of their party. >> and nathan, let me right now if i were a betting person i would get that the democrats pick up senate seats and the republicans pick up the house, how would you deal with that snare zloe. >> i'm not there yet on the specifics. i'm not confident. if i was a democratic strategist, every seat matters. that is a big get for them. the seats in arizona where biden won, and it was narrow. if the democratic turnout dips lower than what republican turnout is going to be then those become republican states in a mid-term environment. >> that's for sure. appreciate you both on this friday. getting us started with quite

the change in the republican party from jan 6th, and not the change that many folks expected. let me change gears here, breaking news from the white house. the press office just announced that president biden spoke with vladimir putin today and they talked about the ongoing ransomware attacks that appear to be emanating from russia. i know it is early, they made this part of it public. is this a phone call to say "be prepared." what i said i would do i'm going to do. is there details on what happened in the conversation? >> the president just a couple days ago, chuck, said what are you prepared to do in response for this latest attack. and he said i will deliver that message to him. i'm not going to read it out for you right now. now that call has now taken place. we know it lasted about 60 minutes earlier today.

i want to read you the portion that talks about the signer attack and the concerns. he underscored the need for russia to take action to disrupt the groups operating in the country and said he is committed to continuing engagement on the broader threat posed by ransomware. he reiterated that the u.s. will take any necessary action to defend it's people and critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge into a very similar message to what was delivered in geneva a few weeks ago. russia was getting a list of "don't touch this or there is serious consequences." the press secretary is briefing right now. she was asked whether or not president putin offered any assurances that he would tackle cyber criminals, and she said

she will not read out what he committed to or would not commit to. but this is something that there was certainly a lot of pressure on president biden to do because he said specifically from that summit that if this continued he would call out the russian president and there would absolute i will be consequences. so this is the first step in that action in response. >> they don't like the afraid redline, but clearly it was a redline drawn. it appears putin crossed it, and it sounds like like it will hold. up next, coronavirus cases are spiking in states with low vaccinate rates. it is those getting the hardest right now. we'll talk about a state in a race against the delta variant. race against the delta variant 's coverage customizer tool? so you only pay for what you need. sorry?

limu, you're an animal! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ there's an america we build and one we explore. one that's been paved and one that's forever wild. but freedom means you don't have to choose just one adventure. you get both. introducing the wildly civilized all-new 3-row jeep grand cherokee l don't settle for products that give you a sort of white smile. try new crest whitening emulsions. introducing the wildly civilized for 100% whiter teeth. its highly active peroxide droplets swipe on in seconds. and stays on ten times longer to continue whitening long after you apply. with virtually no sensitivity. no rinsing, no brushing off. just apply and go.

try new crest whitening emulsions. better. faster. 100% whiter teeth. shop crestwhitesmile.com this isn't just a walk up the stairs. when you have an irregular heartbeat, it's more. it's dignity. the freedom to go where you want, knowing your doctor can watch over your heart. ♪♪ ok, at at&t everyone gets our best deals on all smartphones. let me break it down. you got your new customers — they get our best deals. you got your existing customers — they also get our best deals. everyone. gets. the deals. questions? got it. but, why did you use a permanent marker? because i want to make sure you remember. i am going to get a new whiteboard. it's not complicated. only at&t gives everyone our best deals on every smartphone. like the samsung galaxy s21 5g for free. so many people are overweight now and asking themselves, "why can't i lose weight?" for most, the reason is insulin resistance,

and they don't even know they have it. conventional starvation diets don't address insulin resistance. that's why they don't work. now there's golo. golo helps with insulin resistance, getting rid of sugar cravings, helps control stress and emotional eating and losing weight. go to golo.com and see how golo can change your life. that's golo.com. ♪

welcome back, children that are fully vaccinated will not have to masks in the classroom this year. currently it's only approved for children over 12. as cases of the delta variant rise, pfizer says they're planning to seek emergency dose authorization for a booster shot to protect against the highly contagious strain. so far they released a joint statement saying pushing back on the necessity of a booster saying right now americans that are fully vaccinated don't need a booster at this time. we continue to review new data as it is available and we will keep the public informed. experts say the immediate focus needs not to be on a booster, but dealing with the unvaccinated. some states are struggling to get their residents the first

vaccine. and many of the lowest rates are clustered in the southeast of the country. some are seeing a sharp rise in covid cases. i'm joined now by somebody who has been working really hard on this in his state, and it is asa hutchinson, it's good to have you here. i have family in arkansas, i have family that live in a county that is less than 30% vaccinated right now. and i, you know, the anecdotal conversations i have, i'm sure you heard them, they're very frustrating conversations. have you found anything that is penetrating this wall of hesitancy? >> we have been hit very hard in the sense that we have the delta variant, and it is not as high as it should have been.

a month ago we were in good shape. and so we're mounting, again, another significant campaign. going to the communities, listening to them within encouraging them to get vaccinated, and it is the miss investigation. everything from the vaccination leading to mind infert infertility. get good advice on this. we believe it will lead to vaccination. we're seeing as the richk increases vaccination rates will go up. it's sad to say, but as we see more cases, more hospitalizations, that could be the impact. >> that's what happened in south texas sadly. it took a lot of deaths suddenly that improved their vaccination

rate. i'm curious, are you running into problems with pastors that want to be helpful that feel like they're so exhausted from mask mandates, that in many communities they're the most trucked person. the church pastor, and you know some stories here nationally indicated that these pastors are exhausted from these fights. >> there is an exhaustion across the board. 18 months of dealing with this pandemic and you feel like you government it whipped. you feel like you're going the right direction, and it reverses on you. it's tough you have to summon courage and our health care providers are doing that. pastors are trusted and i think they have been a very great partner particularly in the

minority community where they have been key to our outreach, key to our vaccination programs, and there is weariness out there. i'm concerned about the misinformation, and that's what we're really trying to counter right now. >> who would help the most here? is it folks that face this. i know my anecdotal with friends and family, it is always something they saw on facebook, right? and then is circulates. is there something they could do? would you like to see the former president do more on this front, too? >> it is their platform in this regard, and the people out there to respond and to educate, and to compete on those platforms. in terms of the president, i

heard numerous times of ads and public service announcements that include his voice, encouraging people to get the vaccine. so it is ironic that some of the strongest trump supporters are do not get the vaccine and trump himself is saying let's get it. so he is recognizing that and we're going to continue to magnify they think. >> the religion outreach is not working in all of the rural committees, what have been some best practices? >> you know that is what is unique about the states is that what works in one is more obstacles and challenges. there are some best practices we

see, that is one of the great roles of the natural governor's association, and the accessibility and the equity to practice and make sure we get it into all of the areas of our state. and the advertising campaign and trusted advisors, all of these work in different ways across the state. it is a community covid conversation. they reach into many different communities, listening to them. and so other states might try something different, but the national governor's association is proud of our colleagues. we try things, and if it doesn't work we move on. >> let me ask you this. you said getting the full fda approval will help build confidence. i don't think you're wrong there. i think there is a chunk of folk that's will motivate them.

we have a vaccine mandate for students in school to go to public schools. at some point is that necessary for 12 and over, if it is fully approved that there ought to be a mandate for those students there and that may trickle up, if you will? >> well, i think that is worthy of discussion, but first, let's get approval from the fda. i don't think that you're going to see that kind of mandate across the board for utilizing this vaccine. once it is fully approved, there is precedent for it, but in arkansas the legislature passed a law that prohibited vaccine mandates of that nature. so that will not happen here or in many states. and the sad thing is -- >> do you not need a measles? you can go to arkansas public

schools without vaccinations for measles or mumps? >> no, we have requirements for vaccinations, but i'm saying that it, sadly, even once we get final approval for the covid vaccine we're prohibited from mandating that in the schools and making that a requirement. and so maybe that is unique in arkansas, but that was the will of the legislature and so we're not going to go down that path, that is why we have to have the responsibility of the parents and the schools in our education to accomplish the same result. >> governor, asa hutchinson, the newly aminted chair of the national governor's association. i imagine we'll be talking again soon, good to see you, sir. >> good to be with you, chuck, thank you. some new arrests are

spurring new questions about that investigation as the u.s. announces they will send a delegation to haiti including fbi officials, to help. i includ fbi officials, to help ♪ when technology is easier to use... ♪ barriers don't stand a chance. ♪ that's why we'll stop at nothing to deliver our technology as-a-service. ♪

from prom dresses to workouts to deliver our technology as-a-service. and new adventures you hope the more you give the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b. although uncommon, up to 1 in 5 survivors of meningitis will have long term consequences. now as you're thinking about

all the vaccines your teen might need make sure you ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination. one, two! one, two, three! only pay for what you need! with customized car insurance from liberty mutual! nothing rhymes with liberty mutual. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ the instant air purifier removes 99.9% of the virus that causes covid-19 from treated air. so you can breathe easier, knowing that you and your family have added protection. ♪ ♪ welcome back to a update in haiti. 15 people are now under arrest after the president was brazenly killed. they paraded these handcuffed

suspected behind tables of machetes, guns, and passports, but there are many questions over who they are, how they were found so quickly, and if they're even the real perm traitors. all right, gary, this, yesterday, it is hard to look at all of this and suddenly they found all of these seven-day forecast -- these suspects, it seemed to be a little too clean. what do you know? >> you're right. this is so hollywood. i have never seen them be so efficient in history. and i have never seen

mercenaries be so incompetition. so it doesn't add up. so i think that the government should reach out to washington and ask to help investigate this. we should not kid around or having fake videos. this is not necessary. . we should not operate that way. we should get to the bottom of it. i know we're not going to go for it, we're too smart to go for this obvious and really absurd explanation. when you have one of the leading journalists in haiti assassinated in front of his station 20 years ago. but all of a sudden no one was shot at the president's house, but they have all of the

suspects already lined up for us to watch? >> you hate to say it, i don't think anyone wants to jump to conclusions, but there are people that claimed power that are telling people to go back to work, everything is in hand, we got this. it is hard not to look at the people benefitting right now with this power vacuum and not want to ask a bunch of questions. >> the biggest problem for me right now is what will the gangs do? they have been in haiti for a couple years. they cut off the capital city, and there is no movement whatsoever. and so the police are no match for them. and now if they're deciding they want to fill that power vacuum, it will be bad and we have to be

careful not to let that happen. that's the biggest worry that i have right now. forget about the little theater they're feeding us, but they're real theater. they have been massacring people in the left and the right in the last few years and it has been really volatile. >> so the u.n. rek niced prime minister joseph and gave his legitimacy. >>. >> i think he has a little more legitimacy and hopefully they will organize elections, but september is out of the question. i think they should push for november, have people go out and vote. don't forget, chuck, the delta variant of covid has been ravaging people as we speak. there is no vaccine and to get a

covid test cost $80 u.s. dollars. the average hatian makes that in a month. >> an excellent point and considering how clubhouse we are and the importance of us as an ally to haty, that is something that we ought to be getting involved in. we appreciate you coming on and we imagine we'll be checking in with you against next week. thank you for your work. >> thank you for having me. >> coming up, president biden defending his decision to leave afghanistan. can they really do it? ghanistan. can they really do it? you'll find better cheers with your favorite fans. you'll find a better life is in store at miracle-ear, when you experience the exclusive miracle-ear advantage. our team is devoted to your care, with free service adjustments and cleaning of your

miracle-ear hearing aids for life. we're so confident we can improve your life, we're offering a 30-day risk-free trial. call 1-800-miracle today and experience the miracle-ear advantage. well, would ya look at that! call 1-800-miracle today and experience it was an accident. i was— speaking of accidents, we accidentally left you off the insurance policy during enrollment, and you're not covered. not even a little bit? mm-mmm. no insurance. no. when employees can't enter and manage their own benefits enrollment information, it can be a real pain. not even— nope! with paycom, employees enter and manage their own hr data in a single, easy-to-use software. visit paycom.com and schedule a demo today. this is the sound of change. the sound of a thousand sighs of relief. and the sound of a company watching out for you. this is the sound of low cash mode from pnc bank, giving you multiple options and at least 24 hours to help you avoid an overdraft fee. because we believe how you handle overdrafts

should be in your control, not just your bank's. low cash mode on virtual wallet from pnc bank. one way we're making a difference. mm. [ clicks tongue ] i don't know. i think they look good, man. mm, smooth. uh, they are a little tight. like, too tight? might just need to break 'em in a little bit. you don't want 'em too loose. for those who were born to ride there's progressive. with 24/7 roadside assistance. -okay. think i'm gonna wear these home. -excellent choice.

do i trust the taliban? no, but i trust the capacity of the afghan military that is better trained and more

equipped. >> that was president biden insisting he trusts afghanistan. despite that trust, the taliban is continuing to battle the trooms. they are sending teams to moscow and they could end up taking complete control. they have training for years and she joins me now. let's just unpack in my statement. many would say that it is robust. >> the afghans have been doing

operations for some time and they have some support from the coalition forces. . they are conducting air strikes. they will have some -- where they're having the afghanistan security forces it is the more rural areas. the local police and the local soldiers. the further you get away from the central government the less support they have, they may not have the ability. we're hearing reports, some are fleaing or laying down their weapons or handing them over to the taliban. they are training up the security forces they built them up to about 352,000 but it's

more than just the size of the forces that matter. it's the matter. >> what about the idea of leaving bagram. when you think about the various threats, an unstable pakistan that has nuclear weapons next door, afghanistans next door, you could make it strategic case. we left a perfectly good base that may have been very helpful with other things that we have to worry about? >> is it is a base where they could fly norm carbo plains, as well. when they talk about a real

endurning presence, bagram was always the base they talked about. i've been hearing for weeks now they were handing it over in late june and early july. that has been kept very quiet. they say they want to move ahead with this draw down and it is virtually complete right now. more than 90% of u.s. troops and equipment are out at this point. if the taliban getting kabul, we should expect to see the presence there go away. that is because it won't be a safe place for them but they don't have a safe airport. we should expect the afternoon security forces, they will not keep funding them.

we should expect that funding to dry up and that is one of the things really keeping the afghanistan security forces alive right now and it is coalition and international funding. right now is promised to them for several years. i can't imagine the u.s. keeps funding them if the taliban is running the government. >> courtney, at the pentagon, thank you. i think we're seconds away, we got a two minute warning on president biden's remarks. we expect him to talk about an executive order. the minute he starts speaking we'll break out of it. we'll do that and we'll be right back. t of it. we'll do that and we'll be right back

the president is peaking now on an executive order about competitiveness. >> because our strategy has been working and the immediate relief through the member rescue plan has brought back our economy from the worst economic crisis in nearly a century america is now on track for the highest economic growth in 40 years. and we're in the highest growth records on record. we designed our economic strategy to be durable through the ups and downs that come with recovery. there are ups and downs. that's where the american rescue plan was designed to help people just not all at once but over the course of a full year, so we can continue to support families, small businesses, state and local budgets to help them weather the ups and downs.

and now that the economy is back on track we're making progress on the second faze of our strategy. that is what my build back better agenda, including my "american's family plan," and my bipartisan infrastructure agreement that we reached last month, that's what they're all about long term. but month is about long term. but to keep the country moving we have to take another step, and i know that you are all tired of me hearing talk about it in the campaign and since i have been elected as president. so now i am ap going to be signing the executive order to have competition to lower wages, and take another step for the economy that works for everybody. and the capitalism is open and fair competition. so if companies want to win your

business they have to up their game and better prices and services and new ideas and products and services, and it keeps the economy moving, and fair competition is why capitalism is the better prosperity and growth, and so competitive economy means that competitive companies must do everything that they do to compete for workers. offering higher wages and more flexible hours and more benefit, but what we have seen over the last few decades is less competition, and more concentration that holds our economy back. we have seen it in the big agriculture and big tech and big pharma and the list is going on. rather than competing for consumers they are competing for themselves and too often the

government has made it harder for new companies to break in and compete. look at what that means for the family budgets. take prescription drugs. just a handful of companies control the market for many vital medicines and giving them leverage over everyone else to charge whatever they want. as result, the americans pay 2 1/2 times more for prescription drugs than in any other leading company, and 1 in 4 americans struggle to afford medication. another example, hearing aids. right now, if you need a hearing aid, you can't just wa walk into the pharmacy and pick one up over the counter, you have to get it from the doctor or specialist, and not only does that make them inconvenient, but expensive and harder for other companies to innovate and compete and sell them at lower prices, and as a result, a pair of hearing aids can cost thound

is as is of dollars that is a big reason why just 1 in 7 americans with hearing loss use a hearing aid. another example, internet services. there are more than 65 million americans living in a place with only one high speed internet provider, and research shows that when you have a limited internet operation, yo will pay five times more on average than families with more choices. that is what a lack of competition does and it raises the prices that you pay. it is not just consumes getting hurt. big ag is putting a squeeze on the farmers and small and family farms, and the first-time farmers and veterans comes home, and black and latino and indigenous farmers are seeing the hikes on the seed and the lopsided contracts and increasing debt. so there is a handful of

employers left competing for the workers. thinking of the towns across appalachian and other parts of the country where one big company runs show, and when corporations have that leverage over the worker, it pushes down, it pushes down advertised wages up to 17%. as this competition decreases, the businesses don't feel the pressure to innovate or invest in the workforce and that hurts working families, and all totaled between the lowering wages and lack of choice, it cost the median household $5,000 a year. look, i'm a proud capitalist, and i spent most of my career representing the corporate state of delaware. i know america can't succeed unless american business succeeds, and let me be clear,

capitalism without competition is not capitalism, but it is exploitation, and without healthy competition, big players can change and charge whatever they want. and treat you however they want, and for too americans, that means accepting a bad deal for things that you can't go out. so, we know that we have a problem, and a major problem, and we also have a major opportunity, and we can bring back more competition to more of the country and helping the entrepreneurs and more small businesses get into the game, and helping workers get a better deal, and helping the families to save money every month, and the good news is that we have done it before. the early 1900s president teddy roosevelt saw an economy dominated by giants like standard oil and j.p. railroads and he took them on and he won. he gave the little guy a fighting chance. decades later, in the great

depression, his cousin franklin roosevelt saw a wave of corporate mergers that wiped out scores of small business crushing the innovation and competition, and he ramped up the antitrust enforcement, and set the course for sustained economic growth after world war ii, and he called for the economic bill of rights with quote, the right of every businessman large and small to trade from fear of competition and domination of monopolies, and between them, they established an anti-trust tradition. it is how we ensure that our economy is not about people working for capitalism, but it is about capitalism working for people, but over time we have lost the fundamental ideal that true capitalism is working for

fair and open competition. so 40 year ago we chose the wrong path in my view, and following the misguided view of people like robert bork, and pulled back on enforcing the laws to have more competition, and letting bigger companies have more power and we have less growth, and weakened investment, and too many americans feeling left behind and too many people who are poorer than their parents, and i believe that the experiment failed, so we have to get back to economy that grows from the bottom-up, and the middle-out, and the executive order that i am going to be signing commits to aggressive anti-trust laws. no more mass layoffs and higher

prices and fewer options for consumers alike. my executive order is going to be 72 specific actions. i expect the federal agencies, and they know this to help restore competition. so that we have lower prices, higher wages, and more money and more options and more convenience for the american peoplement today, i want to focus on three specific ak unshs. first, the fda, the food and drug administration. we want to work with the states and tribes to safety important prescription drugs from canada. that is one of many actions in the executive order that is going to lower the prescription drug prices. second, the fda is going to issue the rules so that hearing aids can be sold over the counter. that is something that the last administration was supposed to have done, but they didn't do. we are going to get it done. after these rules get done, the

hearing aids will cost hundreds of dollars and not thousands and you can pick them up at the local drugstore. and third, we will improve conditions for workers. vi talked about noncompete agreements and contracts that say that you can't take another job in your field even if you get a better deal. i made a speech that i was reminiscing with my staff at the brookings institution with claudes that i found to be ridiculous and how prevalent they were throughout the industries, and at least one in three businesses require their workers to sign a noncompete agreement. and these are not high paid executives and sign to hold formulas of coca-cola so pepsi can't get a hold on it, but

these employees are hotel workers and construction workers and disproportionately women of color. think of the 20-year-old worker who is a star worker, but not treated like and underpaid and passed over for proportions and the competitor across the street wants to bring her in, but threatens her for legal action because of the noncompete clause she signed, and she can't afford a attorney, and you would feel disrespected, bullied and trapped. so someone should feel free to take a job if you want to. if your employer wants you, they