August 5, 2021

CONCENTRATION, BRAIN FOG.

DR. ADAM TELLS US HOW COVID CAN CHANGE OUR BRAINS.

AND FINALLY --

WE ARE A BLESSED, BLESSED NATION.

JAMAICAN'S WOMEN GET THE GOLD AND THE SILVER AND THE BRONZE.

THE THREE FASTEST WOMEN IN THE WORLD ON THEIR STUNNING OLYMPIC VICTORIES.

> 'AMANPOUR & COMPANY' IS MADE POSSIBLE BY -- SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III.

CANDACE KING WEIR.

THE CHERYL AND PHILIP MILSTEIN FAMILY.

THE ANDERSON FAMILY FUND.

THE STRAUS FAMILY FOUNDATION.

JIM ATWOOD AND LESLIE WILLIAMS.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ.

KU AND PATRICIA EWING, COMMITTED TO BRIDGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THESE FUNDERS AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

EVERYONE.ME TO THE PROGRAM, I'M BIANNA GOLODRYGA SITTING IN FOR CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, WHO WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK.

VOTING RIGHTS GROUPS ARE CRYING OUT THAT DEMOCRACY IS IN PERIL, CALLING ON DEMOCRATS TO PASS NEW LEGISLATION.

FOR MY FIRST GUEST A KEY PART OF PROTECTING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IS ACCOUNTABILITY.

LIEUTENANT KERNEL ALEXANDER VINDMAN ROSE WHEN HE TESTIFIED TO CONGRESS IN 2015 ABOUT THE NOW INFAMOUS PHONE CALL BETWEEN PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND UKRAINIAN LEADER ZELENSKY.

IT WAS A CALL VINDMAN, A FORMER WHITE HOUSE STAFFER, WAS LISTENING TO IN REAL TIME.

DURING THAT CONVERSATION, MR. TRUMP ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO COERCE HIS UKRAINIAN COUNTERPARN DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER JOE BIDEN AND HIS SON.

VINDMAN'S WORDS WERE AT THE HEART OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST IMPEACHMENT AND HIS TESTIMONY HAD A MAJOR IMPACT.

YOU MAY REMEMBER THIS MOMENT WHEN HE TOLD HIS FATHER NOT TO WORRY ABOUT HIM.

TAKE A LISTEN.

DAD, MY SITTING HERE TODAY IN THE U.S. CAPITOL AND TALKING TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IS PROOF THAT YOU MADE THE RIGHT DECISION 40 YEARS AGO TO LEAVE THE SOVIET UNION AND COME HERE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN SEARCH OF A BETTER LIFE FOR OUR FAMILY.

DO NOT WORRY.

TRUTH.E FINE FOR TELLING THE

WHY DO YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU CAN DO THAT AND TELL YOUR DAD NOT TO WORRY?

CONGRESSMAN, BECAUSE THIS IS AMERICA.

THIS IS THE COUNTRY I'VE SERVED AND DEFENDED, THAT ALL OF MY BROTHERS HAVE SERVED, AND HERE, RIGHT MATTERS.

GIVES YOU CHILLS LISTENING T.

AND HERE RIGHT MATTERS IS THE NAME OF HIS NEW BOOK WHERE HE DIGS INTO THAT INCREDIBLE PERIOD OF HIS LIFE.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALEXANDER VINDMAN JOINS US NOW.

WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON.

BIANNA, SO HAPPY TO BE ON THE SHOW WITH YOU.

THAT YOUR LIFE IS BROKEN INTO REALLY TWO CHAPTERS NOW, PRE-IMPEACHMENT AND POST-IMPEACHMENT.

HOW IS POST-IMPEACHMENT LIFE FOR YOU IN YOUR FAMILY?

IT'S A SHARP LEARNING CURVE.

ALL SORTS OF NEW EXPERIENCES FROM THE MINUTE I LEFT UNIFORM, EVEN BEFORE I LEFT UNIFORM, JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS AFFAIR IN WHICH A SERVING ARMY OFFICER WAS FORCED INTO A POSITION OF GOING UP AGAINST THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE UNITED STATES.

THAT'S AN UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGE.

UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS ON MY OWN, I DIDN'T HAVE THE ARMY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BEHIND ME.

BUT I HAD MY FAMILY, A CORE SUPPORT OF FRIENDS AND A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.

SHARP LEARNING CURVE THROUGH THIS, SHARP LEARNING CURVE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I DO WITH MY LIFE LEAVING SERVICE, AND EVER SINCE, SAME THING, JUST NEW EXPERIENCES.

I WANT TO GET TO THE LACK OF SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY FROM THE HIGHER UPS IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND IN JUST A MOMENT.

LET'S BEGIN WITH THAT INFAMOUS PHONE CALL, BECAUSE YOU REVEAL IN THE BOOK THAT THE TRANSCRIPT THAT WAS RELEASED WAS NOT FULLY ACCURATE, THE TRANSCRIPT THAT WAS INITIALLY RELEASED THAT LED ULTIMATELY TO THE IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION.

WHY WAS IT NOT FULLY ACCURATE?

WHAT WAS MISSING?

s

SO THERE WAS NO -- EVER SINCE WATERGATE, I GUESS PHONE CALLS DON'T GET RECORDED AND THEREFORE THERE'S NOT A COMPLETELY ACCURATE TRANSCRIPT OF THE PHON.

SAME THING IN THIS CASE.

THERE WAS A TRANSCRIPT OF SORTS, AN IMPERFECT TRANSCRIPT THAT'S CREATED AFTER ONE OF THESE PHONO THE MEETING PARTICIPANTS AND THEY GET TO FILL IN IF THERE WAS AN OVERSIGHT.

IF THAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE, THERE WERE SOME ITEMS LEFT OFF.

I TRIED TO MAKE THE CORRECTIONS TO IT, INCLUDING SOME KEY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES, THE REFERENCES TO BURISMA AND THOSE DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE FINAL VERSION.

YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR REPORTING TO THE HIGHER-UP IN COMMAND.

THAT'S WHAT YOU HAD BEEN TRAINED THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER IN THE MILITARY AND THAT'S WHAT YOU PROCEEDED TO DO AFTER THE PHONE CALL.

YOU WERE NOT THE ONLY PERSON ON THAT PHONE CALL.

YOUR BOSS AT THE TIME, TIM MORRISON WAS ON THE PHONE CALL.D AND YOU COULD SEE IN HIS FACIAL EXPRESSION THAT WASN'T NECESSARILY THE WAY A PHONE CAL.

HE UNDERSTAND WHAT TOOK PLACE.

YOU HANDLED THINGS DIFFERENTLY, THOUGH.

YOU WENT UP TO JOHN EISENBERG, THE DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL AT THE TIME.

YOU TOLD HIM WHAT YOU HEARD.

TIM MORRISON HEARD.

INSTEAD OF RESPONDING ALONG THE LINES OF THE WAY YOU DID, THE WAY YOU EXPECTED THEM TO, THEY ACTUALLY WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO RETALIATE AGAINST YOU PROFESSIONALLY.

HOW DID YOU COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE DOING, AND WAS THAT JUST A GUT-PUNCH FOR YOU?

PEOPLE ARE WHO THEY ARE.

I THINK IN THE CASE OF TIM MORRISON, I KNEW WHO HE WAS BEFORE HE JOINED OUR TEAM.

THIS WAS WITHIN A WEEK OF HIM COMING ONTO THE TEAM IS WHEN THIS PHONE CALL OCCURRED.

BUT HE HAD BEEN ON THE NSC AND HE HAD A REPUTATION AS A VERY DIFFICULT PERSON TO WORK WITH.

IT DIDN'T SURPRISE ME THAT HE WOULD BE KIND OF A KEY IN THE RETALIATION AGAINST ME.

BUT THE LEVEL OF KIND OF DUPLICITY, I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD BE JOINING THE VIPER'S DEN, AND IT'S THE MOST PERILOUS ENVIRONMENT.

THIS IS COMING FROM AN ARMY OFFICER THAT HAD SERVED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, AND IT REALLY KIND OF LIVED UP TO THE BILLING IN THOSE KEY MOMENTS WHEN THE STAKES WERE REALLY HIGH, YOU COULD SEE WHERE PEOPLE KIND OF END UP, WHO THEY ARE, WHETHER THEY'RE ETHICAL INDIVIDUALS OR WHETHER THEY'RE CAREERISTS AND FOLKS THAT ARE LOOKING TO ADVANCE THEMSELVES.

AND YOU ALSO SAY IN THE BOOK THAT TIM LIED TO CONGRESS ABOUT SAYING THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU HAD REPORTED THAT CALL.

I WOULD ARGUE THAT HE ALSO PUT THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTRY AT RISK HERE BECAUSE HE DID NOT ALLOW YOU TO GO ON A TRIP TO THE COUNTRIES, THE AREA OF THE WORLD THAT WAS UNDER YOUR PURVIEW AND THUS THAT TRIP WAS NOT AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN.

BUT LET'S MOVE ON TO THE MILITARY ITSELF.

YOU EXPLAINED THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD, ESPECIALLY ONCE THE PRESIDENT HAD BEEN ACQUITTED, THAT YOU MAY NO LONGER HAVE A JOB AT THE WHITE HOUSE, THAT IS THE PRESIDENT'S PREROGATIVE.

BUT YOU HAD EXPECTED AT THE AGE OF 44 TO CONTINUE YOUR MILITARY CAREER WITHIN THE ARMY.

YOU WERE EXPECTING TO BE PROMOTED SOON AND, YET, YOU SAID YOU HEARD NOTHING FROM SUPERIORS.

IN FACT, THE ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF SAID SOMETHING QUITE PUZZLING TO YOU.

HE SAID, DO THE RIGHT THING IN THE RIGHT WAY.

WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?

WELL, I PUZZLED OVER THAT ONE MYSELF.

THAT WAS RELATIVELY EARLY ON.

THAT WAS BETWEEN A CLOSED DOOR AND PUBLIC TESTIMONY, AND THE BEST I CAN GAUGE IS THAT HE WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO I WAS, WHETHER I WAS SOMEBODY THAT WAS GOING TO KIND OF LIVE UP TO THE INSTITUTIONAL VALUES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME NOT REALLY OFFER THAT MUCH IN THE WAY OF ENCOURAGEMENT OR SUPPORT.

IT ENDED UP UNFOLDING IN MUCH THE WAY THAT CONVERSATION DID, WHICH IS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, IS THIS OFFICER GOING TO FALL ON A SWORD, TAKE THE HAND GRENADE AND SACRIFICE HIMSELF, WHICH IN A WAY I DID, I GUESS, BY REPORTING THE PHONE CALL AND THEN TESTIFYING, BUT MAYBE IN THEIR VIEW, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THEY THOUGHT I COULD DO MORE TO PROTECT THE INSTITUTION OR SOMETHING OR THEY THOUGHT I WAS DISPENSABLE.

I'M NOT, FRANKLY, SURE.

THOSE ARE THE HARSH APPRAISALS OF THEM.

BECAUSE I LOVE THE INSTITUTIONS AND I VALUE THE SERVICE MEMBERS, MAYBE THE KINDER ASSESSMENT, WHICH I STRUGGLE WITH SOMETIMES, BECAUSE I HAD ABSORBED DIFFICULTY HERE, IS THAT MAYBE THEY WERE JUST LOOKING TO PROTECT THE INSTITUTION.

AND THAT'S WHAT I TRY TO CONVINCE MYSELF, THEY WERE LOOKING OUT FOR THE GOOD OF THE INSTITUTION AND I WAS JUST A PAWN OR A SACRIFICIAL LAMB OR SOMETHING.

THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE, YOU ALLUDED TO THIS AND THE LACK OF SUPPORT FROM YOUR SUPERIORS, AND THIS WAS LAST YEAR.

NOW THAT YOU'VE WRITTEN YOUR BOOK AND YOU'VE BEEN MORE FORTHCOMING ABOUT THIS, ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU'VE LEFT THE MILITARY, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO OTHERS WITHIN -- ASSUMING YOUR THEORY IS CORRECT, THAT THEY WERE LOOKING OUT FOR THE GOOD OF THE WHOLE, AND YOU WERE THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB WHO DID NOTHING WRONG EXCEPT YOU DID WHAT YOU WERE TRAINED TO DO, WHAT MESSAGE DOES THIS SEND TO OTHERS WHO MAY BE IN YOUR SAME POSITION, WHO MAY BE EXPERTS AT THEIR FIELD, WHO MAY BE THEN DEPRIVED OF THEIR CAREERS GOING FORWARD FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND THEY SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU AND THEY SAY, I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT?

YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING THAT I SERVED IN AN ORGANIZATION WHERE SACRIFICE IS AN EXPECTATION.

EACH ONE OF US WERE -- ESPECIALLY THE FOLKS THAT SERVED IN COMBAT, WERE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY COULD BE A CASUALTY.

AND I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY, IN A WAY, SOMETHING THAT I COULD LIVE WITH.

IF IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORGANIZATION, THAT IS SOMETHING I COULD LIVE WITH.

WHAT I CAN'T ACCEPT IS IF IT WAS MORE CAREERIST.

IF IT WAS MORE ABOUT PRESERVING THEIR OWN POSITIONS, I ALONE CAN FIX THIS, I AM THE GUARDRAIL, THAT KIND OF EGO.

I THINK THE WAY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DID TO SO MANY INDIVIDUALS AND TO SO MANY DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES, KIND OF PANDERING TO THEIR EGOS AND WITH THAT KIND OF CAREERIST NOTION IN MIND, TRUMP HAS AND TRUMP AND HIS FOLKS HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS TO MARCH IN THE SUPPRESSION OF A PROTEST, HIM AND THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.

IF PEOPLE ARE TRULY PRINCIPLED, SITUATIONS OCCUR.

IT'S A MOMENT OF INTROSPECTION AND WE SHOULD LEARN SOMETHING FROM THIS, NOT JUST FROM ME PERSONALLY, BUT FROM THE WAY THE MILITARY RESPONDED TO SO MANY CHALLENGES THAT WERE PUT IN FRONT OF THEM BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION.

CRICKETS FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF CHIEFS, MILLIE AT THE TIME AND ESPER, UNTIL YOU HAD RESIGNED, WHICH YOU SAID YOU WERE PUZZLED AT HOW QUICKLY YOU RECEIVED ALL OF YOUR DOCUMENTS AND PAPERWORKD MONTHS AND YOU GOT THEM WITHIN A DAY OR TWO.

IT GOES BACK TO SOMETHING THAT YOUR DAD WAS ARGUING, WHICH I DON'T THINK MANY PEOPLE KNEW UNTIL YOU WROTE IT IN THE BOOK.

WHEN YOU ADDRESSED YOUR DAD IN THOSE OPENING REMARKS, YOU WERE ADDRESSING AN ONGOING ARGUMENT THAT YOU ACTUALLY DID HAVE WITH YOUR FATHER WHILE YOU WERE DRIVING IN THE CAR, YOUR FATHER BEING A SOVIET IMMIGRANT TO THE UNITED STATES, AND THE FIRST THING HE SAID TO YOU WHEN HE KNEW ABOUT THIS IMPEACHMENT AND YOUR ROLE IN IT AND THE PHONE CALL, IS HE SAID, SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT, DO WHATEVER THE PRESIDENT WANTS.

SO HERE RIGHT MATTERS, WHEN YOU SAID THAT, THAT WAS NOT ONLY A MESSAGE TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, IT WAS A MESSAGE TO YOUR FATHER.

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY A MESSAGE TO MY FATHER.

I WANTED HIM TO KNOW THAT THIS COUNTRY WAS DIFFERENT.

LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES FOR 40 YEARS, HE CERTAINLY KNEW THAT, BUT AT A VISCERAL LEVEL WHEN THE FUTURE OF HIS CHILDREN IS ON THE LINE, HE CHANNELED ALL THAT EXPERIENCE FROM AN AUTHORITARIAN REGIME AND PER SERVED A DIFFERENT KIND OF RISK.

IN CERTAIN WAYS HE WAS RIGHT, I DID LOSE MY JOB, I DID HAVE TO START FROM SCRATCH.

BUT THIS COUNTRY WAS DIFFERENT, I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY FOR MY PERSONAL SAFETY, AT LEAST NOT FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

JUST THE CHARACTER ASSASSINATIONS AND THE GOVERNMENT-DRIVEN ATTACKS ON ME PERSONALLY, BUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WERE STILL ABLE TO GET THEIR WILL, THE PRESIDENT WAS REMOVED, THE PRESIDENT WAS FIRED BECAUSE HE WAS CORRUPT AND HE MISMANAGED THE PANDEMIC.

ALL OF THESE REASONS ENABLED THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TO SEE THE PRESIDENT FOR WHO HE IS AND HE DIDN'T STICK AROUND.

SO I THINK THAT'S RIGHT MATTERING AND MAKING IT MATTER.

I STILL STICK BY THIS IDEA THAT RIGHT MATTERS IN AMERICA.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEVER HAPPENED IN THE SOVIET UNION AND I WOULD ARGUE PRESENT DAY RUSSIA ITSELF.

AND THE ARGUMENT YOU MAKE ON THE PRESERVATION OF DEMOCRACY IN THIS COUNTRY, AS YOU KNOW, THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DENY THAT THE PRESIDENT IS THE VALID PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT BIDEN, MANY BELIEVE THAT THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN, THEY BELIEVE IN THE BIG LIE.

AND THERE IS A CHANCE THAT FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN RUN FOR PRESIDENT AGAIN.

YOU WERE DEPRIVED OF MANY OPTIONS, PERHAPS JOBS, EVERYTHING WAS AWAITING THE ELECTION.

AND YOUR LIFE AS YOU LAY OUT IN THIS BOOK, IS AT MORE PEACE TODAY.

BUT ARE YOU CONCERNED AT ALL ABOUT WHAT MAY HAPPEN IF PRESIDENT TRUMP IS RE-ELECTED, NOT ONLY TO YOURSELF, BUT TO THE COUNTRY?

I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF HIM BEING RE-ELECTED.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S LIKELY, FRANKLY.

BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE KIND OF DAMAGE THAT HE WILL CONTINUE TO DO FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS THAT HE'S GIVEN THE ABILITY TO HAVE A PLATFORM.

UNFORTUNATELY, HE'S IN THE NEWS MEDIA BECAUSE HE CAPTURES SO MUCH ATTENTION, BUT ALSO BY THIS RAVENOUS BASE OF SUPPORT THAT FAILS TO HOLD HIM TO ACCOUNT.

THAT'S SOMETHING I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.

HE IS NOT A MAN'S MAN.

HE IS NOT A TYPICAL JOHN WAYNE FIGURE.

HE'S WEAK, HE'S INDECISIVE, HE'S COWARDLY IN ATTACKING THOSE THAT CAN'T DEFEND THEMSELVES.

THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE TO ME ABOUT WHY THIS MAN STILL CAPTURES THE ATTENTION OF FOLKS.

MY MESSAGE TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT STILL SUPPORT HIM IS HE IS NOT WHO YOU THINK HE IS.

HE IS ABSOLUTELY NOT.

AND HE WOULD NOT LOOK AT YOU, HE STREET IF HE DIDN'T SEE SOME GAIN FOR HIM.

AND THE SOONER WE COME TO THAT REALIZATION, THE BETTER.

BUT HE'S NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM.

THE PROBLEM IS HIS ENABLERS, ALSO, AND WE NEED TO HOLD THOSE FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE, IN UPCOMING ELECTIONS, IN LITIGATION WHEN FOX NEWS ATTACKS INDIVIDUALS.

ALL THESE TYPES OF WAYS, ACCOUNTABILITY IS FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL, YOU AND I GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER BECAUSE OF THE COMMON BACKGROUND AND BEING IMMIGRANTS FROM THE SOVIET UNION, YOUR FAMILY DID WHAT MINE AND MANY OTHERS DID NOT, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR BROTHERS HAS SERVED THIS COUNTRY.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE THAT DROVE THE VINDMAN BROTHERS TO DEFEND AND PROTECT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?

YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INTERESTING, IMPORTANT, I GUESS, CHAPTER IN THE BOOK, TALKING ABOUT MY IMMIGRANT BACKGROUND AND THE FACT THAT WE CAME FROM A DIFFERENT PART OF THE WORLD WHERE THINGS ARE NOT LIKE THEY ARE HERE.

IT'S HARD TO RATIONALIZE THE DIFFICULTY THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW TO THE EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT DIFFICULTIES THAT PEOPLE FACE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.

I THINK WHAT WE HAVE IS PERSPECTIVE.

WE HAVE THE PERSPECTIVE OF, YES, THINGS WILL DIFFICULT, WE ARE NOT A PERFECT COUNTRY, WE ARE STILL AN EXPERIMENT IN PROGRESS FOR THE MORE PERFECT UNION.

BUT WE HAVE IT BETTER THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD, AND IF WE WANT TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY PROGRESSING, MOVING FORWARD, BEING MORE INCLUSIVE, IT'S ON ALL OF US TO WORK TOGETHER, IT'S ON OUR IMMIGRANTS THAT COME HERE THAT TOIL TO TAKE PART IN THE AMERICAN DREAM, IT'S ON AMERICANS THAT HAVE GENERATIONS OF FAMILY BACKGROUND HERE, COMMITTED TO PRESERVING THIS UNION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FIGHTING FOR WHAT MATTERS IN THIS COUNTRY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TOTH.

FAMILY, LIEUTENANT COLONELUR VINDMAN.

WE APPRECIATE THE TIME.

THANK YOU.

LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT TIME.

> WELL, THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM CONTINUES ACROSS THE WORLD.

BELARUSIAN SPRINTER CRYSTAL PALACE LANDED IN POLAND TODAY.

SHE SAYS BELARUSIAN OFFICIALS TRIED TO FORCE HER TO LEAVE THE GAMES AFTER SHE CRITICIZED HER COACHES ON INSTAGRAM.

TODAY SHE TOLD REUTERS THAT HER FAMILY HAD WARNED HER NOT TO RETURN TO THE AUTHORITARIAN STATE.

MY PARENTS LOOKING AT ALL OF THIS CONCLUDED THAT UPON MY RETURN HOME, I WOULD EITHER FACE A PSYCHIATRIC UNIT OR PRISON.

WE KNOW THAT SUCH SITUATIONS DO HAPPEN IN OUR COUNTRY.

THAT'S WHY MY GRANDMOTHER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME, PLEASE, DO NOT COME BACK TO BELARUS, IT'S NOT SAFE FOR YOU HERE.

I THINK IT WOULD BE SAFER FOR YOU IF YOU SEEK POLITICAL ASYLUM AND STAY IN TOKYO OR TRAVEL SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE BUT NOT TO BELARUS.

HER GRANDMOTHER'S INSTINCTS APPEAR TO BE RIGHT.

TROUBLING EVIDENCE IS EMERGING OF WHAT MAY BE A PRISON CAMP FOR POLITICAL DISSIDENTS.

NICK PATON WALSH HAS THE DETAIL.

Reporter: A CHILLING SIGHT, NOT FROM THE LAST CENTURY, BUT LAST MONTH.

A POSSIBLE PRISON CAMP BUILT INSIDE BELARUS FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS.

CNN OBTAINED THIS FOOTAGES OF WHAT WITNESSES SAID LOOKED LIKE A NEWLY REFURBISHED CAMP ABOUT AN HOUR'S DRIVE FROM THE CAPITAL, MINSK.

A THREE-LAYER FENCE, ELECTRIFIED.

NEW MOVING SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, BARS AND REFLECTIVE SCREENS ON THE WINDOWS OF NEWLY REBUILT BARRACKS.

NO PRISONERS YET.

WHAT LOOKED LIKE A SOLDIER IN SIGHT.

REGULAR MILITARY PATROLS WHO TOLD WITNESSES OUTSIDE TO LEAVE.

ONE LOCAL TALKED TO THEM.

MY FRIEND TOLD ME THEY WERE REFURBISHED THIS PLACE, HE SAYS.

THERE ARE THREE LEVELS OF BARBED WIRE AND ELECTRIFIED.

IT SITS ON THE VAST SITE OF A FORMAL MISSILE STORAGE FACILITY SURROUNDED BY FOREST.

THE REPAIRS CAME NOT LONG AFTER DEFECTING POLICE OFFICERS RELEASED SECRET RECORDINGS OF SENIOR POLICE DISCUSSING THE NEED FOR PRISON CAMPS AT SEVERAL SITES.

Reporter: CNN HASN'T GAINED ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR OF THESIY SAY THAT IT IS INTENDED FOR USE AS A PRISON CAMP.

AN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL I TALKED TO SAID IT WAS, QUOTE, POSSIBLE ALTHOUGH THEY DON'T HAVE DIRECT EVIDENCE.

IT'S TOUGH TO IMAGINE WHAT ELSE THE CAMP COULD BE FOR.

OPPOSITION LEADERS WORRY IT COULD BE USED BY LUKASHENKO DURING FUTURE PROTESTS.

IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT HE'S TRYING TO BUILD SOMETHING LIKE A REGULAR PRISON CAMP, BECAUSE A UP. WAVE OF PROTESTS WILL COME IT CAN BE TRIGGERED BY A STATEMENT OR AN ECONOMIC SITUATION, BUT IT WILL COME.

AND HE UNDERSTANDS THAT AND HE ALSO WANTS TO PREPARE MORE THAN LAST YEAR IN 2020.

THIS IS WHY I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF SUCH CAMPS ARE BEING BELT.

Reporter: OFFICIAL DECLINED TO COMMENT AND HAVE CALLED THE RECORDING ABOUT CAMPS FAKE NEWS WHEN IT WAS RELEASED, SAYING THEY FOLLOWED THE LAW.

THESE IMAGES EMERGE AFTER A WEEKS' LONG CRACKDOWN AGAINST INDEPENDENT MEDIA INSIDE BELARUS AND DOZENS OF ARRESTS.

INSIDE, THE PROTEST MOVEMENT HAS BEEN PERSECUTED SO HARD, IT NOW HOLDS FLASH MOB DEMONSTRATIONS LIKE THESE FILMED BID DRONES.

TO HIT BACK, CNN HAS LEARNED.

THESE RAILWAY SABOTAGES, THEY SAY THE OPERATIONS, THE DETAILS OF WHICH WE AREN'T DISCLOSING, JUST TRIGGER ALARMS THAT STOP TRAINS ON THE TRACKS.

RISKING NOBODY'S SAFETY AND CAUSING TRAFFIC TO SLOW DOWN, THEY SAY.

WE SPOKE TO ONE ORGANIZER.

WHEN OUR SKIES ARE BLOCKED, HE SAID, WE SHOULD BLOCK THE LAND AS WELL.

THE MAIN GOAL IS TO CAUSE ECONOMIC DAMAGE TO THE REGIME BECAUSE THE DELAYS CAUSE THEM TO PAY HUGE FINES.

THIS ACTION WAS CARRIED OUT, THEY SAID, ON A KEY ROUTE FROM RUSSIA TO THE EUROPEAN UNION.

CNN CAN'T INDEPENDENTLY CONFIRM IT WAS EFFECTIVE.

IF THERE WAS AN IMPACT ON RAIL TRAFFIC, IT COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANCE OUTSIDE OF BELARUS AND HERE, BECAUSE SO MANY GOODS FROM THE EAST RELY ON THIS NETWORK TO GET TO EUROPE.

SIGNS BOTH SIDES COULD BE ADOPTING NEW HARSHER TACTICS AND WHAT MAY AWAIT FRESH PROTESTS AS THE SCREWS TIGHTEN.

THANKS TO NICK PATON WALSH FOR THAT REPORT.

> BACK TO THE U.S., WHERE THE DELTA VARIANT IS SURGING AS VACCINATION RATES SLOW TO A CRAWL IN SOME STATES.

THE PRICE IS TRAGICALLY HIGH.

TRAVIS CAMPBELL FROM VIRGINIA THOUGHT THAT HE WAS INVINCIBLE.

NOW HE'S MAKING VIDEOS FROM HIS HOSPITAL BED BEGGING PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED IN HEARTBREAKING POSTS.

HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS HE'S HAVING WITH HIS FAMILY AS HIS CONDITION WORSENS.

TAKE A LISTEN.

LAST NIGHT I COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT THE CHANCES OF ME NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE MY DAUGHTER AWAY AT HER WEDDING WAS GREATER THAN WALKING OUT.

I HAD TO MAKE A PHONE CALL TO MY 14-YEAR-OLD SON, AND I HAD TO TELL HIM WHAT MY THOUGHTS AND MY DREAM WAS AT GIVING MY DAUGHTER AWAY AT THE ALTAR.

AND I HAD TO ASK FOR HIS PERMISSION IF I DIDN'T COME HOME IF HE WOULD GIVE MY DAUGHTER AWAY ON HER DAY.

SO PAINFUL TO WATCH.

AND AVOIDABLE.

MY NEXT GUEST IS DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO GET HIS CITY VACCINATED.

WE HAVE THE MAYOR IN THE REPUBLICAN STRONGHOLD OF INDIANA.

WHILE THE STATE IS FALLING BEHIND THE REST OF THE U.S. IN VACCINATIONS, THE CITY OF CARAMEL IS WAY AHEAD WITH 80% OF RESIDENTS FULLY VACCINATED.

WHAT'S BEHIND THIS SUCCESS STORY?

THE MAYOR JOINS ME NOW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US, MAYOR.

AND LET ME START OFF WITH THAT.

THE UNITED STATES, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT FULLY VACCINATED CITIZENS, LESS THAN 50%, INDIANA HAS 44%. YOU HAVE 80%. WHAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT?

WELL, I THINK PART OF IT IS OUR POPULATION.

WE'RE FORTUNATE, ABOUT 100,000 PEOPLE LIVE IN CARAMEL, PART OF THE INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN AREA, AND WE HAVE A HIGH LEVEL, NUMBER OF ADULTS THAT HAVE HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND ALMOST 40% OF OUR POPULATION HAS A GRADUATE DEGREE.

SO FAR MORE THAN SEEN AS A REPUBLICAN-DEMOCRATIC DIVIDE, I SEE IT -- I THINK PEOPLE HAVE HAD, AS I SAID, THE GOOD FORTUNE TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND POSSIBLY GRADUATE SCHOOL, ARE SPENDING THE TIME AND ANALYZING THE SCIENCE AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL THAN PERHAPS OTHERS WHO HAVEN'T HAD THAT GOOD A FORTUNE.

I THINK IT'S A LOT MORE ABOUT EDUCATIONAL LEVEL THAN ABOUT POLITICS.

AND THAT MAKES SENSE, BUT IN TERMS OF POLITICS AND EDUCATION LEVELS, YOU LOOK AT MANY STATE LEADERS, FROM FLORIDA TO KANSAS, TO TEXAS, THEY'RE ALL EDUCATED.

MANY OF THEM WENT TO IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS.

AND YET THEY'RE NOT HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU'RE HAVING WITH YOUR COMMUNITY BASED ON JUST SCIENCE.

THEY ARE BRINGING POLITICS INTO THIS, AND AS WE KNOW, IT IS COSTING LIVES AND IT IS ADDING A LOT OF STRESS TO LOCAL HOSPITALS.

SO WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO SOME OF THOSE POLITICIANS, THE MAJORITY OF WHICH HAPPEN TO BE REPUBLICAN?

I THINK THEY NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO SCIENCE.

THEY NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT'S BEST FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.

I UNDERSTAND THAT WE LIVE IN A VERY PARTISAN ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE NEED TO MOVE BEYOND THAT AND DO WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR NEIGHBORS, WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE WHO ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO THIS TERRIBLE DISEASE.

IF WE ALL LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER, WE CAN -- GRANTED, A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DO NOT WANT TO SEE MASK MANDATES AND SEE THE GOVERNMENT TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO.

THE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH THAT IS TO GET HERD IMMUNITY THROUGH HIGHER LEVELS OF VACCINATION.

AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT.

PART OF THE ISSUE IS, WELL, THERE'S PART OF THE U.S.

CONGRESS, THE MAYORS, WE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS, PRE-PANDEMIC, AND IT WAS ALWAYS THE JOKE THAT THERE'S NO REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATIC WAY TO PICK UP TRASH OR FILL CHUCKHOLES.

SO I THINK THAT MAYORS IN GENERAL TEND TO BE LESS PARTISAN THAN STATE OFFICERS AND CERTAINLY FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS.

ONCE YOU'RE ELECTED MAYOR, YOU SEE EVERYBODY REGARDLESS OF PARTY IN THE GROCERY STORE AND ON THE STREET ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND IT'S ABOUT MAKING YOUR COMMUNITY A GOOD PLACE TOL.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.

WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR NEIGHBORS, TO HELP US ALL EMERGE FROM THIS TERRIBLE PANDEMIC TOGETHER AND HEALTHY.

AND I'M SURE IT DOESN'T SATISFY YOU JUST TO SEE YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR CITY GETTING VACCINATED AT A HIGHER RATE.

YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE OTHERS WITHIN YOUR STATE AND WITHIN THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE.

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM SOME OF THOSE WHO ARE HESITANT?

I KNOW YOU TALK A LOT ABOUT EDUCATION AND PEOPLE FOCUSING ON SCIENCE.

BUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXAMPLES YOU'RE HEARING AS TO WHY PEOPLE MAY BE SKEPTICAL?

I THINK THERE'S A LARGE SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION THAT SEEMS TO BE WAITING FOR PERMANENT APPROVAL OF THE VACCINE, THAT THE EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION CONCERNS THEM.

AND I ALWAYS TRY TO POINT OUT TO THOSE FOLKS THAT THE SHOT HAS NOW BEEN GIVEN, THIS VACCINE HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED TO HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE, AND THE NUMBER OF BAD REACTIONS IS MINISCULE, FAR LESS THAN MANY OTHER VACCINES THAT WE TAKE WITHOUT THINKING TWICE ABOUT.

AND THAT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF DATA AT THIS POINT.

AND TO JUST PAY ATTENTION TO THE SCIENCE, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT WE KNOW, AND BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE GETTING YOUR INFORMATION.

THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE, IF THEY CAN SELL AN AD THEY'LL SAY ANYTHING.

I SEE A LOT OF THAT ON THE INTERNET.

AND SOME MEDIA AS WELL.

WOULD IT BE HELPFUL TO HEAR MORE FROM FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP IN TERMS OF SPEAKING OUT AND CHANGING THE MINDS OF THOSE REPUBLICANS, IN PARTICULAR, WHO ARE HESITANT ABOUT GETTING THE VACCINE?

OBVIOUSLY HE'S SAID A FEW THINGS, BUT MANY COULD ARGUE THAT HE COULD SAY MORE.

I SUPPOSE HE COULD.

I'M NOT SURE THAT HE IS THE BEST PERSON TO DO THAT.

BUT I CERTAINLY THINK THAT OTHER NATIONAL AND LOCAL, PARTICULARLY LOCAL REPUBLICAN LEADERS CAN STEP UP AND TALK ABOUT WHY GETTING THE VACCINE IS IMPORTANT.

I THINK THAT ANYTHING THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT SAYS IS GOING TO BE VIEWED AS POLITICAL AT THIS POINT.

I JUST DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL.

ONE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS, ONE OF YOUR NEW CONSTITUENTS IS A PROMINENT NAME, AND THAT WAS VICE PRESIDENT PENCE.

HE IS ALSO ENCOURAGING AMERICANS TO GET VACCINATED, AND HE SPOKE ON THIS ISSUE AND A FEW OTHERS AT A CONFERENCE IN HOUSTON.

TAKE A LISTEN.

I WANT TO ENCOURAGE ANYONE HERE WHO HASN'T GOT THE SHOT, WHO IS ELIGIBLE, GO GET IT.

AND IF YOU'RE NOT SURE ABOUT IT, GO ASK YOUR DOCTOR AND GET THE VERY BEST ADVICE THAT YOU CAN.

AS WE DO OUR PART, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, TO PUT THIS PANDEMIC IN THE PAST, WE NEED TO ALSO STAND FIRM.

ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT WE CAN DEFEAT THIS VIRUS WITHOUT LOCKDOWNS AND MANDATES.

[ APPLAUSE ]

WE CAN PROTECT THE VULNERABLE AND GET OUR KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL.

[ APPLAUSE ]

AND WE CAN KEEP AMERICA OPEN WITHOUT FORFEITING OUR FREEDOMS.

NOW, REMIND YOU, THIS IS THE SAME MAN WHO BACK IN JULY OF 2020 SAID THAT THE PANDEMIC HAD BEEN DEFEATED AND THE VIRUS HAD BEEN DEFEATED, BUT NONETHELESS, HERE HE IS DOING THE RIGHT THING, TELLING AMERICANS THAT THEY SHOULD GET VACCINATED.

BUT ON THE ISSUE OF MANDATES, I ALSO NOTICE THAT IN CARAMEL YOU ARE RECOMMENDING MASKS AT SCHOOL.

YOU'RE NOT MANDATING THEM.

AND GIVEN THE TRANSMISSIBILITY, HOW HIGHLY TRANSMISSIBLE DELTA IS AND GIVEN THAT MANY KIDS, ESPECIALLY THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 12, CANNOT GET A VACCINE BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN APPROVED TO GET A VACCINE BY THE FDA, IS THAT WISE AT THIS POINT AS CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL?

WELL, I THINK THERE'S GOOD ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT CHILDREN HAVE FULL OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND MASKS CERTAINLY MAKE THAT MORE DIFFICULT, I THINK.

EVERYONE IS FEELING THEIR WAY IN THIS PANDEMIC.

WE WANT OUR ECONOMY TO BE OPEN.

THERE'S TREMENDOUS DAMAGE DONE WHEN PEOPLE LOSE JOBS AND ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES, AND OF COURSE THOSE HAVE TO BE BALANCED AGAINST THE PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES.

THESE ARE TOUGH QUESTIONS AND I THINK THAT GOOD, SOLID PEOPLE CAN DIFFER ON THESE ISSUES.

THE KEY IS, IS TO GET EVERYONE THAT CAN BE VACCINATED -- I'M PLEASED WE'RE 80%. BUT YET AT THE SAME TIME I'M DISAPPOINTED WE'RE NOT AT 98%. THERE'S PROBABLY 1% OR 2% OF THE POPULATION THAT FOR LEGITIMATE MEDICAL REASONS CANNOT TAKE THE COVID-19 VACCINE.

BUT EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD.

I'M TOLD, ALSO, BY HEALTH OFFICIALS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON THAT WE SHOULD HAVE FULL APPROVAL FOR AGES 6 AND ABOVE APPROVED WITHIN A FEW WEEKS.

AND I THINK THAT WILL HELP THE ISSUE IN THE SCHOOLS.

LOOK, I'VE COVERED SCHOOLS NOR THE PAST YEAR AND I HAVE TO SAY EVERYTHING I'VE OBSERVED, THERE WASN'T MUCH PUSHBACK FROM KIDS.

THEY HAD NO PROBLEM WEARING THE MASKS.

IT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT THE PARENTS HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MORE THAN THE KIDS THEMSELVES.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I DO WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT ANOTHER ISSUE THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, AND THAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOLLOWING THE SCIENCE AS WELL.

PRESIDENT OBAMA, IN FACT, APPOINTED YOU TO A CLIMATE TASK FORCE IN 2013.

I KNOW YOU'VE TRAVELED THE WORLD TALKING ABOUT THIS, AS IF YOU NEED ANOTHER ISSUE ON YOUR PLATE RIGHT NOW, ASIDE FROM COVID, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO ARE DENYING CLIMATE CHANGE AND MAN'S ROLE IN IT, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND YOUR FELLOW REPUBLICANS?

FIRST OF ALL, OUR CITY HAS DONE A LOT TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRY TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE AS BEST WE CAN.

WE BELIEVE, IN FACT, WHEN THE FORMER PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED HE WAS TAKING THE UNITED STATES OUT OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT, THE MAYORS OF THE UNITED STATES CAME TOGETHER AND SAID, WE CAN DO ENOUGH IN OUR OWN CITY TO SAY MAKE SURE THE UNITED STATES MEET OUR GOALS UNDER THAT TREATY.

WE'RE DOING ALL SORTS OF THINGS IN CARAMEL.

BETTER CITY DESIGN SO PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND HOURS A DAY IN THEIR CAR.

I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THINGS.

L.E.D. LIGHTS, THINGS THAT MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE AMOUNT OF CARBON EMISSIONS LOCALLY.

BECAUSE MAYORS REALLY DO HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON IT.

IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE A STRONG FEDERAL PARTNER, BUT CITIES CAN DO AN AWFUL LOT.

AND I TALKED TO OTHER REPUBLICANS, THOUGH, I POINT OUT TO THEM -- IT WAS TEDDY ROOSEVELT, A REPUBLICAN, WHO SAID MUCH OF OUR NATIONAL PARKS AND SET ASIDE THE ARCTIC RESERVE AND PRESIDENT NIXON AND LATER FORD SIGNED INTO LAW THE LEGISLATION THAT CREATED THE EPA, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, AND HALF A DOZEN OTHER IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION.

RONALD REAGAN AND MARGARET THATCHER WENT TO MONTREAL AND CONVINCED THE REST OF THE WORLD TO SIGN THE PROTOCOLS FIXING THE OZONE PROBLEM.

IT WAS GEORGE BUSH SR. WHO SET UP A SYSTEM IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP A BASELINE ON CLIMATE CHANGE SO WE HAVE GOOD DATA.

AND I SAY TO THEM, HAVE YOU EVER MET A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT THAT WANTS THEIR FAMILY TO BREATHE DIRTY AIR OR DRINK DIRTY WATER?

THE ENVIRONMENT IS IMPORTANT TO EVERYBODY ON THIS EARTH, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE A PARTISAN ISSUE.

WE SHOULD ALL WANT TO LEAVE THE EARTH IN A BETTER PLACE.

JUST LIKE COVID AND THE PANDEMIC AS WELL, PUT POLITICS ASIDE AND FOLLOW THE SCIENCE AND THE DATA.

MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

IT'S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU.

YOU, TOO.

> WELL, VACCINATIONS CONTINUE TO REDUCE INFECTIONS.

HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS.

BUT SOME SCIENTISTS ARE NOW CONCERNED ABOUT THE LONG-TERM BRAIN.S OF THE VIRUS ON THE DR. ADAM HAMPSHIRE IS ONE OF THEM.

HE IS A COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENTIST AT IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON.

HERE HE IS BREAKING DOWN HIS FINDINGS.

ADAM HAMPSHIRE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

FIRST A TOP LEVEL OVERVIEW AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO WHAT YOUR SEARCH IS SHOWING.

WHAT DID YOU FIND THROUGH SURVEYS IN THE UK?

ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT PEOPLE WHO HAD RECOVERED FROM COVID-19, THEY SHOWED A DEGREE OF UNDERPERFORMANCE IN TERMS OF A VARIETY OF ASPECTS OF COGNITIVE ABILITIES.

SO JUST TO EX STAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT, WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS FAR LESS THAN WE WOULD EXPECT FROM PEOPLE JUST LIKE THEM.

WHAT KINDS OF UNDERPERFORMANCE?

WHAT KINDS OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

SO THE TOOL THAT WE WERE USING FOR COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT, IT'S DESIGNED TO TRY AND MEASURE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF COGNITION.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS LIKE PLANNING AND REASONING, THERE'S ATTENTION TO HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT FOCUSING ON A PARTICULAR TASK, THERE'S MEMORY FUNCTIONS AND WORKING MEMORY FUNCTIONS, ALSO LANGUAGE.

WHAT WE'VE OBSERVED IS THAT SOME OF THOSE SEEM TO BE PRETTY MUCH NORMAL, BUT SOME OF THE HIGHER, SOME OF THE EXECUTIVE PLANNING AND LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS, THOSE ARE WHERE PEOPLE WERE UNDERPERFORMING.

ACROSS THIS. TO HOW YOU CAME IT SEEMS LIKE THERE WAS ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF A SERENDIPITY HERE, THAT YOU WERE ALREADY DOING A MASSIVE SURVEY BEFORE THE PANDEMIC REALLY TOOK HOLD.

YES, IT WAS A MASSIVE COINCIDENCE.

I HAD SET UP A COLLABORATION WITH BBC-2 HORIZON IN THE UK, WHERE WE WERE ESSENTIALLY TRYING TO MAP DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS OF COGNITIVE ABILITY ACROSS THE UK POPULATION.

AND THAT STUDY, BECAUSE IT WAS PROMOTED THROUGH BBC, IT WAS VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL IN TERMS OF NUMBERS.

SO ACTUALLY IN TERMS OF THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF 2020, WE TESTED ABOUT 390,000 PEOPLE, PRIMARILY IN THE UK.

AND JUST TO EXPLAIN, THIS ISN'T A SHORT ASSESSMENT.

PEOPLE VOLUNTEER, THEY'RE NOT PAID AND THEY PUT IN 40 MINUTES OF TIME INTO THE COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT, PLUS A DETAILED QUESTIONNAIRE AFTERWARDS.

SO IT'S VERY COINCIDENTAL, WE HAD JUST SET THE STUDY UP.

IT WAS RUNNING FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND THEN THE PANDEMIC TOOK OFF IN THE UK.

AND WHAT HAPPENED, ESSENTIALLY, AT THAT POINT IN TIME IS THE NUMBER OF COLLEAGUES OF MINE FROM DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES WROTE TO ME AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS COULD BE USEFUL, WE COULD TRY AND WORK OUT WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC IS ON PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH IN GENERAL, BUT ALSO YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ILL.

AND I HAD BEEN THINKING ALONG SIMILAR LINES.

SO WE SORT OF GROUPED TOGETHER AND COLLABORATED AND PUT TOGETHER SOME EXTENDED QUESTIONNAIRES THAT LOOKED AT HOW PEOPLE'S DAILY LIVES HAD BEEN AFFECTED, WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN TERMS OF THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, BUT ALSO, IF THEY HAD BEEN ILL, IF THEY SUSPECTED THAT WAS COVID-19, IF THAT HAD BEEN CONFIRMED WITH BIOLOGICAL TESTS AND ALSO WHAT HAPPENED, FOR EXAMPLE, DID THEY END UP IN THE HOSPITAL, DID THEY HAVE BREATHING DIFFICULTIES, END UP ON A VENTILATOR.

IT'S VERY RICH DATA.

IF YOU CONSIDER HOW FAST THE PANDEMIC TOOK OFF, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRETTY MUCH IMPOSSIBLE TO SET UP A STUDY TO DO THIS IN ADVANCE.

SO IT WAS VERY, VERY LUCKY.

SO WHAT WERE THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WERE REPORTING AND, MORE IMPORTANT, WHAT WERE THE CORRELATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS THAT YOU COULD START TO MAKE OF PEOPLE WHO HAD HAD COVID, WHO HAD BEEN HOSPITALIZED OR NOT?

WHAT WERE THEY FALLING SHORT ON?

IS IT A MEMORY TEST?

IS IT ABOUT THEIR EMOTIONAL IQ?

HOW DO YOU SORT IT?

SO PEOPLE ESSENTIALLY APPEAR TO BE UNDERPERFORMING IN PARTICULAR COGNITIVE DOMAINS.

THE DOMAINS THAT WE SAW THE LARGEST UNDERPERFORMANCE INCLUDED SOME OF THE HIGHER WHAT WE REFER TO AS SEMANTIC FUNCTIONS, SO HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT DEALING WITH COMPLEX REASONING BASED AROUND OFTEN DIFFICULT WORDS.

HAVING LOGICAL REASONING, FOR EXAMPLE.

OTHER THINGS PEOPLE STRUGGLED WITH WAS SPACIAL PLANNING FOCUSED ATTENTION.

NOW THESE ARE REFERRED TO GENERALLY AS EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS.

IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO BREAK DOWN DIFFICULT PROBLEMS AND TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, ESSENTIALLY.

ONE OF THE CONCERNING THINGS WHEN YOU LOOK INTO THE DETAILS OF YOUR STUDY IS THAT WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL.

YOU'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, MAYBE BECAUSE YOU HAD SUCH A LARGE DATA SET, PEOPLE WERE QUARANTINED, WHO STAYED AT HOME, WHO MIGHT HAVE HAD A VERY MILD, IF NOT EVEN A NON-NOTICEABLE FORM OF COVID.

FRANKLY, THIS IS WHAT SURPRISED ME IN OUR PARTICULAR STUDY.

SO ONE EXTREME, YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL OR ON A VENTILATOR, AND WE KIND OF EXPECTED THAT MIGHT HAVE AN IMPACT ON THEIR COGNITION.

WE KNOW THAT FROM PAST STUDIES AND OTHER DISORDERS.

BUT THE FACT THAT WE SEE A COGNITIVE UNDERPERFORMANCE IN PEOPLE WHO REMAINED AT HOME AND HAD POSITIVE BIOLOGICAL TESTS, BUT NO MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, THAT'S KIND OF SURPRISING.

BUT IN TERMS OF THE IMAGES LITERATURE, IT'S ALSO THE CASE THERE'S SOME EVIDENCE ACCUMULATING IN THAT SAME POPULATION, THIS IS ACTUALLY A BIG INTEREST IN THE UK AT THE MOMENT.

SO CAN WE FOLLOW PEOPLE UP WHO HAD MILDER SYMPTOMS AND SEE HOW THEY'VE BEEN AFFECTED AND WHAT HAPPENS IN TERMS OF THE RECOVERY.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEING, I WOULD SAY, MOST USEFUL ABOUT MY PARTICULAR STUDY IS WE VALIDATED, ESSENTIALLY, A SET OF COGNITIVE ASSESSMENT TOOLS THAT CAN BE USED AND THEY'RE NOW BEING APPLIED IN STUDIES WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO TRACK PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD COVID-19.

SO YOU ESSENTIALLY SAY, OKAY, HERE IS A WOMAN WHO IS 32, HERE IS 100 WOMEN WHO ARE 32 YEARS OLD AND IN GOOD HEALTH, ET CETERA, THIS IS THEIR BASELINE, THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE SHOULD BE ON THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF SKILL OR TEST, AND THEN HERE IS PERHAPS HAS BEEN HOSPITALIZED, AND HOW DID THEY DO ON THE SAME SCORE, IS THAT RIGHT?

THAT PRETTY MUCH CAPTURES IT.

WE TAKE ALL OF THOSE FACTORS INTO ACCOUNT AND WE MEASURE HOW SOMEONE'S SCORE DEVIATES FROM WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT FROM PEOPLE JUST LIKE THEM.

HOW DO YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WITH SUCH A LARGE POPULATION THAT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE COULDN'T HAVE HAD THESE EFFECTS BECAUSE OF OTHER UNDERLYING CONDITIONS, BECAUSE OF PERHAPS THEIR OWN AGING PROCESS, PERHAPS THEY WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF EARLY ALZHEIMER'S?

HOW DO WE KNOW IT'S COVID AND NOT OTHER FACTORS?

WELL, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

SO IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR STUDY, WHAT WE'VE OBSERVED IS AN ASSOCIATION, IT'S A STRONG ASSOCIATION, IT'S A WORRYING ASSOCIATION AND WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE IT FURTHER.

BUT I WOULD SAY WE HAVEN'T ABSOLUTELY SORT OF NAILED THE CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIP HERE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE LONGITUDINAL DATA.

WHAT WE CAN DO IS FACTOR LOTS OF THINGS INTO OUR EQUATION.

SO YOU MENTIONED AGE.

AGE IS SOMETHING THAT WE SPECIFICALLY TAKE ACCOUNT OF.

WE TAKE MANY THINGS INTO ACCOUNT, INCLUDING PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS.

WHETHER THEY'VE HAD PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS, NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, ALSO BIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS THAT WE KNOW PREDISPOSE PEOPLE TOWARDS COVID-19 ILLNESS AND ITS SEVERITY, SUCH AS DIABETES, FOR EXAMPLE.

ALL OF THAT IS IN THE MODEL ANDF HAVING SO MUCH DATA.

YOU CAN'T NORMALLY DO THAT, BUT WE HAVE DATA FROM LIKE NEARLY 400,000 PEOPLE FROM LAST YEAR.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS THAT YOU'VE GOT PATIENTS WHO ARE COMING IN TO DIFFERENT HOSPITALS AND DOCTORS ALL OVER THE WORLD WITH LONG COVID SYMPTOMS AND, BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU ALSO SEE DIFFERENT RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS STARTING TO STUDY LONG COVID AND WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE REACTIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD NOW.

YOU'RE KIND OF STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THOSE INITIAL STUDIES AND RESEARCH BE PUBLISHED.

AND THIS IS YOUR FIELD NOW.

SO WHAT ARE YOU INTRIGUED BY THAT YOUR COLLEAGUES IN THE PROFESSION ARE STARTING TO LOOK AT?

THERE'S A REAL CONVERGENCE OF EVIDENCE TOWARDS THE POSSIBILITY OF THERE BEING COGNITIVE CONSEQUENCES OF COVID-19.

PERHAPS IF I CAN UNPACK THAT A LITTLE BIT, ON A CATEGORICAL LEVEL, ON ONE HAND THERE'S BEEN QUITE A LOT OF WORK LOOKING AT PEOPLE'S SELF PERCEPTIONS OF HOW THEY'VE BEEN AFFECTED.

SO THIS IS ALL QUITE SUBJECTIVE.

IT'S WHAT SOMEONE FEELS ESSENTIALLY HAS HAPPENED TO THEM.

AND MANY PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THAT THEY'RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THINGS LIKE CONCENTRATION, BRAIN FOG, PROBLEM SOLVING AND FINDING THE WORDS.

WHAT WE'VE DONE, AND SOME OTHER GROUPS ARE STARTING TO DO, IS LOOKED AT OBJECTIVELY MEASURING COGNITION.

SO THERE WHAT WE DO, WE DON'T JUST ASK PEOPLE HOW THEY FEEL THEY'VE BEEN AFFECTED.

INSTEAD WE CHALLENGE THEM AND SAY CAN YOU SOLVE THIS DIFFICULT PROBLEM, CAN YOU CONCENTRATE ON THIS DIFFICULT TASK, AND WE OBJECTIVELY MEASURE WHAT THEY CAN COPE WITH COGNITIVELY.

NOW, WHAT'S INTERESTING IS ON A SORT OF DOMAIN LEVEL, DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF COGNITION, THE RESULTS WE'RE SEEING DOVETAIL QUITE CLOSELY BETWEEN THOSE OF WHAT PEOPLE SELF PERCEIVE AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S AN EMERGING BODY OF EVIDENCE FROM THE BRAIN IMAGING AND THEY'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT BRAIN IMAGING MARKERS AND PATHOLOGY USING DIFFERENT IMAGING METHODS AND TRYING TO QUANTIFY DIFFERENT TYPES OF PATHOLOGY.

AND, AGAIN, THERE'S QUITE A LOTE THAT THERE CAN BE AN IMPACT ON THE BRAIN.

AGAIN --

WHEN YOU SAY THAT, LET ME BREAK THAT DOWN.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE EFFECT ON THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF MY BRAIN?

THERE'S EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT THIS MIGHT BE THE CASE.

NOW, PERHAPS I CAN BREAK THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE, BECAUSE THE WAY IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE FOR EXAMPLE, BASED ON THEFER, SEVERITY OF THEIR ILLNESS.

LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, FAR EXTREME, YOU WENT TO HOSPITAL AND YOU'RE PUT ON A VENTILATOR, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE QUITE SERIOUS NEUROLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS, AND THAT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO COVID-19.

PERHAPS YOU HAVE PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE ORGAN FAILURE, ET CETERA, RIGHT?

SO THAT COULD HAVE NEUROLOGICAL IMPACT.

THERE'S OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE ARGUING THERE COULD BE A DIRECT IMPACT OF THE VIRUS ON THE BRAIN.

NOW, THERE'S A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THAT THAT MAY BE HAPPENING.

AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE', SO LACK OF OXYGEN, WHICH CAN LEAD TO DEATH OF SOME NEURONS AND IT CAN IMPACT THE BRAIN.

AND GENERAL INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES.

SO THIS IS BROAD SPECTRUM OF DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH AN ILLNESS LIKE THIS COULD AFFECT THE BRAIN.

WHAT WE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND YET IS HOW THE ASPECTS OF COGNITION THAT WE SEEM TO BE SEEING COULD BE AFFECTED, HOW THOSE CORRELATE WITH THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHANGE IN THE BRAIN.

SO REALLY, I GUESS, THE FIRST CLUE FOR THAT IS WHEN PEOPLE LOSE THEIR SENSE OF SMELL.

SMELL DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN THE NOSE.

IT HAPPENS IN MY BRAIN, RIGHT?

SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING, IF THE VIRUS IS ABLE TO GET TO THE POINT OF MY BRAIN THAT IS TELLING MY NOSE OR NOT TELLING MY NOSE WHAT THE SMELL IS AROUND ME, THEN WHAT IS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE OLFACTORY LOBE?

WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE AFFECTING?

WELL, YOU'VE SORT OF HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD THERE IN TERMS OF ALL OF THE THEORIES OUT THERE.

AND I SHOULD CLARIFY, I'M NOT DOING RESEARCH INTO THAT THEORY MYSELF.

BUT THERE'S THE IDEA THAT THERE COULD BE AN IMPACT THROUGH THE OLFACTORY SYSTEM INTO THE BRAIN AND THEN A KIND OF SPREAD INFECTING OTHER SYSTEMS.

AND THE COGNITIVE SYSTEMS, THEY OVERLAP WITH THOSE SYSTEMS IN THE BRAIN.

SO THEY'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AS YOU SAY.

IF THIS WORK IN POINTING TO YOU THAT THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ARE NOT LIKE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ALREADY USED TO, WHAT IS THE BIGGER PICTURE KIND OF IMPACT ON THAT?

HOW DOES THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, HOW DO POLICYMAKERS NEED TO THINK ABOUT LONG-TERM POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF COVID THAT, AGAIN, WE'RE ONLY A YEAR AND A HALF INTO THIS, AND RESEARCHERS LOVE TO HAVE THE ABLE TO HAVE TIME WHERE THEY CAN GO AND GO BACK AND FORTH TO PATIENTS.

BUT WHAT IF THERE ARE OTHER EFFECTS DOWN THE LINE?

WELL, THAT'S THE BIG CONCERN, ISN'T IT?

AND AT THE MOMENT WE JUST DON'T KNOW.

AND THAT'S WHY MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED.

WE NEED THAT LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH AND WE NEED TO BE TRACKING PEOPLE OVER TIME AND WE NEED THE COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEASURES AND INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN GET A BETTER IDEA OF THE UNDERLYING BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS, ESSENTIALLY.

HERE IS THE OTHER PART.

OKAY, SO THERE ARE THESE CHANGES FROM COVID.

ARE ANY OF THEM IMPROVING IF YOU'VE HAD A COGNITIVE DEFICIT?, WELL, IT WAS PRETTY BAD FOR A MONTH OR SO, BUT I SEEM TO BE GETTING BETTER NOW?

I WOULD SAY AT THE MOMENT THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE BEGINNING TO EMERGE THAT THERE MIGHT BE A SORT OF SLOW RECOVERY TRAJECTORY POST-COVID-19, AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT'S THE CASE.

I'VE SEEN ONE STUDY OUT OF THE U.S. WHERE THEY'VE STARTED TO SHOW SOME EVIDENCE THAT'S THE CASE.

AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE I'M INVOLVED WITH WHERE THEY'VE LOOKED AT PEOPLE OVER LONGER PERIODS OF TIME WHERE THEY'VE HAD MILD SYMPTOMS AND SEEM TO BE RECOVERING OVER TIME.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IT'S LIKELY TO BE MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT, THOUGH, BECAUSE WHETHER PEOPLE RECOVER, THE DEGREE TO WHICH THEY RECOVER IS GOING TO RELATE TO HOW ILL THEY WERE, THE IMPACT THAT THERE'S LIKE THEIR AGE.D ALSO THINGS

HERE YOU ARE DOING THIS RESEARCH, HERE ARE YOUR COLLEAGUES DOING THIS RESEARCH AND YOU'RE FINDING THINGS THAT, FOR YOU, ARE CONCERNING, FOR YOU THAT SAY REQUIRE MORE RESEARCH, AND OUTSIDE YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL RESISTANT TO A VACCINE, WHO DON'T THINK THIS IS REAL, WHO DON'T THINK THIS WILL HAVE ANY LONG-TERM EFFECTS ON THEM, WHO FEEL INVINCIBLE, WHO THINK THIS IS THE FLU.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU MEET YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU DO, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?

WELL, I ALWAYS SAY THE SAME THING ESSENTIALLY AS IT RELATES TO OUR DATA, WHICH IS WE SEE QUITE A CLEAR RELATIONSHIP, WHEREBY IF A PERSON WAS MORE ILL, THEN WE TEND TO SEE A GREATER DEGREE OF COGNITIVE UNDERPERFORMANCE.

NOW, IF YOU HAVE THE VACCINE, IT IS EITHER GOING TO STOP YOU GETTING ILL OR GREATLY REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF THE ILLNESS.

DR. ADAM HAMPSHIRE OF THE IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF LONDON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

THANK YOU.

YET ANOTHER REASON TO GET YOUR VACCINE IF YOU HAVEN'T YET.

> AND FINALLY, TONIGHT, MEET THREE OF THE FASTEST WOMEN IN THE WORLD.

THIS JAMAICAN TRIO SPRINTED THEIR WAY TO ALL THREE SPOTS ON THE OLYMPIC PODIUM AND INTO VIEWERS' HEARTS WITH 15 OLYMPIC MEDALS BETWEEN THEM AND NOW A NEW 100m RECORD, THEY'RE HOPING TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF ATHLETES.

HERE IS THEIR CONVERSATION WITH CORRESPONDENT COY WIRE.

IT FEELS GOOD KNOWING THAT WE GET ONE, TWO, THREE.

I'VE SEEN THAT WHEN I WAS WATCHING BACK HOME.

SO FOR US TO REPEAT THAT ONCE MORE, IT'S A GOOD FEELING TO BE A PART OF HISTORY AND TO BE AMONGST THESE LADIES.

IT'S A WONDERFUL FEELING.

I'M HONORED TO BE A PART, AND I'M JUST EXPECTED FOR ALL OF US AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE YOUNG GIRLS BACK HOME LIKE US, THEY CAN KNOW THAT JAMAICA CAN INDEED AT THE NEXT OLYMPIC GAMES, WITH ELAINE AND SHERIKA, CAN GET ONE, TWO, THREE, AND I THINK IT SPEAKS TO THE DOMINANCE AND LEGACY THAT WE HAVE IN JAMAICA AND I'M HOPING THAT IT CONTINUES FOR YEARS TO COME.

WHAT IS IT?

HOW?

THIS ISLAND PRODUCING SOME OF THE MOST DOMINANT OLYMPIANS WE'VE EVER SEEN, 13 OVER THE LAST 15 MEDALS AVAILABLE FOR THS SPRINT.

[ LAUGHTER ]

HOW?

I MEAN, IT'S AWESOME.

I DON'T KNOW.

I THINK, BOY, GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO US.

WE ARE A BLESSED, BLESSED, NATION, AND TO BE ABLE TO RISE TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD AGAIN, IT'S YEARS OF THE OTHER ATHLETES, ALL THE OTHER GREAT ATHLETES THAT WE HAVE SEEN AND WE CONTINUE TO EMULATE, LIKE ELAINE SAID, SHE SAW ME WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER, COMING UP.

AND THEN SHERIKA DECIDED TO STEP DOWN FROM THE 400 AND COME TO THE 100 AND JOIN US.

SO REMARKABLE.

YEAH, YOU ARE THOSE THAT YOUNGSTERS ARE LOOKING TO.

WHAT KIND OF PARTY IS IT GOING TO BE WHEN YOU GET BACK TO THE ISLAND?

I DON'T THINK THERE WILL BE -- THERE WILL BE A PARTY, BUT NOBODY WILL KNOW.

IT WILL BE A SURPRISE.

WHEN I PLAYED IN THE NFL, I WAS NOT HAPPY WHEN ONE OF MY TEAMMATES EDGED ME OUT FOR A STARTING SPOT IN THE GAME THAT WEEK.

HOW DIFFICULT IS THE DYNAMIC OF BEING TEAMMATES, YET YOU'RE ALSO YOUR BIGGEST COMPETITORS?

WHAT IS THAT LIKE?

I THINK IT'S NORMAL TO BE COMPETITORS AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE ALL WANT TO WIN AND WE WANT TO RUN OUR BEST RACE, AND I THINK IT'S ALSO NORMAL FOR US TO HAVE EMOTIONS, EMOTIONS OF DISAPPOINTMENT.

NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE READILY EXCITED, OR SOME PERSON, WHEN THEY WIN, THEY ARE NOT OVERLY EXCITED BECAUSE I THINK FOR A LOT OF THEM THEY BELIEVE THEY COULD HAVE MAYBE DONE MORE, MAYBE SOMETHING WENT WRONG.

BUT THAT'S WHAT MAKES SPORTS UNIQUE AND EACH INDIVIDUAL THAT COMES TO THE SPORT, THAT IS WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE AND MAKES THE DYNAMIC OF THE COMPETITION VERY DIFFERENT.

AND I THINK IT'S OKAY THAT WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THE MOMENT, YOU'RE STILL GRATEFUL BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.

> AND THAT'S IT FOR OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT.

REMEMBER, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME AND THE SHOW ON TWITTER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING ON PBS.

JOIN US AGAIN TOMORROW NIGHT.