Who will be gathered to listen and not in a field, a stadium as has usually been the case there spread about six feet apart there. Parents and family members are at a different venue watching all of this virtually, so while they are eager no doubt to see and hear from the president of the United States, at least for mom and dad it will have to be done electronically. We are following that, as things have been getting pushed back a little bit were told that the president might have his speech closer to 10 50 a. M. Than the designated time of 10 25 but things could change, often do in these venues as jon scott was reporting earlier it is a Beautiful Day there so well keep an eye on that and also on some other developments across the country but who knows might come up today in the president s remarks to cadets and thats whats going on in seattle. There are a lot of people who think maybe the military or soldiers or police or someone has to get involved there because this ongoing sort of walkout if you will, that has taken a sixsevenblock area in seattle and put it under non police hands, well its beginning to worry a lot of folks. Jonathan hunt got into the middle of that and thats where he is now in seattle. Jonathan how are things looking . Reporter good morning, neil. This is the capitol hill autonomous zone, were in the center of it right here. Just up the street from us there that is the Seattle Police east precinct. That was the center of a lot of battles here in seattle over several days, eventually as you know, the police withdrew from that and that is when all of these protesters moved in and set up what they call the autonomous zone here. Its being largely peaceful ever since then in fact almost entirely peaceful. They setup for instance a conversation cafe. Here you can see the roadblocks right behind it and lets talk about antiracism that is the point across the other side of the street, as kyle swings around here more roadblocks down on this end and then what they are calling no cop coop here where they are handing out free food to people and as we swing to the right there are a lot of people who have setup tents and plan to stay for quite some time and that is the big question of course, President Trump has said that the officials here in seattle need to take these streets back. Need to end what he calls this occupation of this zone, but there is no sign that they are about to move out any time soon. These huge letters youre looking at right now, neil, along the floor here are difficult to tell from the angle here at but it spells out, a beautifully done mural, black lives matter and that of course is the point of all of this. This is why it started, protests against the brutal killing of george floyd and the people here have no intention of getting out any time soon. The mayor of seattle appears happy for the moment to allow them to stay here. Mr. Trump, of course has said that that can not be allowed to go on. He has labeled the people some of the people inside this autonomous zone as terrorists. Of course we have to say, no sign of anything like that. There have been pictures of a couple of people wandering around with rifles, but there has been no violence over the last few days whatsoever. It is a very peaceful protest. They do own these streets. They are not letting any cops in right now. At some point obviously that is going to be the question. Do the cops come back in . Do they have the support of the National Guard . Do we get back to this area being something of a battle zone but for now, this is an extreme ly peaceful protest and one that looks set to go on for some time no indication whatsoever neil at this point that seattle officials are about to send the police back in or indeed the National Guard. Neil . Neil jonathan for people who live and work in that area, is it easy to get innout . Are they complaining . What . Reporter its very easy to get in and out at the moment. At least and certainly during the day we just strolled in along the street here, everybody is very welcoming and i think whats going to be interesting to your point then, neil is this is the first weekend that the chaz has been setup, so i think youll get a lot of curious people from the seattle area who want to come down and take a look at this so we could see larger numbers than ever here. Usually, its been several hundred going up to a few thousand perhaps during the day, sometimes but we could get very big crowds here over this weekend. I think a lot of people want to come down and they want to see what this is all about. They want to talk to some of the folks who are if you like manning the barricades here , and form their own opinions so its going to be very interesting and as i say no sign that anybody in the top layers of government in seattle or indeed Washington State have any appetite right now to try to break this down, neil. Neil all right thank you my friend, very much. Jonathan hunt in the middle of all of that. You might hear a lot of reference to the chaz referring to the capitol hill autonomous zone. Itll come up a lot, but these individual citizens is essentially taken over that area it is a concern for some security authorities, the police who wonder that if things were to really get hairy then what do you do . Mike solan is a Seattle Police officer and joins us the Guild President there. Officer always good to have you. What do you make of this right now and how long it could go on if its peaceful and nothing much occurs, just heard our reporter on the scene could dragon for a while. What do you think . Neil thanks for having me. Well this is very concerning and i think you should have everybody across the country deeply concerned, because this is could metastasize across the country. Its quite clear that the city of seattle elected officials are lacking the political will to enforce the rule of law and this is the closest ive seen since being a 20year professional in the Public Safety service of our pressure to becoming a lawless state and when you have six, now seven blocks of a city of seattle owned geography now being occupied by some say are still armed people especially at night where do we go from here and what happens to the reasonable community in seattle . In particular the Business Owner s that surround that area or the residents and were already seeing reports come out of those residents saying they arent even allowed to have a vote or a say and theyre feeling threatened so this is a very deeply troubling situation in terms of Public Safety, as were already seeing signs that its occurring down in portland, oregon and weve heard things happening in nashville, and my sources are telling me that the federal government is extremely interested in this , and its quite clear that the people that have taken and basically stolen the george floyd protest message are now using it to benefit themselves and holding the rest of the reasonable citizens of seattle hostage. Its absolutely unacceptable. Neil you know, you were right to point out these festerring movements in nashville, portland , oregon and other cities as well like that have been saying much the same. What theyre doing there we like to try here and it occurs at a time that at least in seattle area the mayor is saying one thing, the police chief quite the opposite. We already know that carmen best , the police chief has been concerned she defied the mayors order the other night when the protests were really getting bad before the lockdown situation that she went ahead and used tear gas to break up what was potentially a violent scene. Now, a judge has inser screened to say dont do that again, hold off on that sort of thing so it sort of ties her hands and yours as well, right . You just said it well. It ties our hands so just imagine, if the city and the elected officials are willing to surrender a police facility, whats next with these criminal agitators, these unreasonable activists that march on another precinct in particular, the Seattle PoliceDepartment Flagship precinct, the west precinct. That precinct houses 911 communications citywide. Neil if we loss that due to the lack of political willpower by our elected leaders, imagine how do the reasonable citizens in seattle expect to get Police Services when they call 911 for help . This is going to spread and if we dont get someone to step into lead and make decisions here for the good of everybody, the reasonable majority of seattle citizens that support Public Safety were in dire trouble here. Neil well watch it very closely, thank you very much and for your service and everything youre doing and trying to keep the peace there. Mike is the Seattle Police officers Guild President. Well be monitoring that very very closely because this is going on right now well over a week of this. The president from what we know might not comment on this , but he has commented on the past saying that if those in Washington State and seattle in particular cannot get this under control, he will, he didnt say exactly what he would do to enforce that, but he is concerned as are others in and outside seattle, if this does spread way beyond seattle the president will be addressing west point cadets for their graduation, first time hes doing so he is the 12th president to do so the sixth in a row right now. Lucas tomlinson with what you might hear from the president a little later this hour. Lucas . Reporter well neil the president is going to address cadets who frankly cant wait to get out of thereafter four years at west point. He also is addressing a group of officers that some of whom appear to have broken with the president , including the u. S. Militarys top officer, who just a few days ago admitted he was wrong to walk through Lafayette Square with the president and when he did the world took notice. I should not have been there my presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics. As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake, but ive learned from. Reporter general milleys marked the second time this month a top pentagon leader appeared to be with the president. This week when top defense officials said they were open to changing the names of 10 u. S. Army bases named after confederate generals including fort bragg President Trump said he would not even consider the move, his press secretary read off the tweets. These monumental and very powerful bases have become part of a Great American heritage in a history of winning victory and freedom. The United States of america trained and deployed our heros here, and won two world wars. Reporter as many as 5,000 National Guard troops deployed to the nations capitol about the same number of u. S. Troops currently deployed to iraq right now. Defense secretary esper chose the guard over using active duty forces. The option to use active duty forces in a Law Enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent, and dire of situations. We are not in one of those situations now. I do not support invoking the insurrection act. Reporter the u. S. Military prides itself on remaining a political but recall when general scott ran for president while in uniform four times, he eventually captured the nomination in 1852 and general scott is buried at west point, neil. Neil . Neil very good parallel you just did there, my friend thank you very very much, and following all of this very very closely hes quite the historic buff there. So we are following this well follow what the president has to say and you know, a lot of the tension is given to west point graduations as obviously to be expected here this is a special year given covid19 and the distancing provisions that will be in effect they usually hold it inside their stadium, that can seat in excess of 45,000. They arent going to do that this year and they are going to maintain distancing between the graduates, the cadets themselves, parents and family members would have to take all of this in virtually. They will not be on that field with their sons and daughters but it comes at a time when the president of that military relationship has gotten so much a little bit depending on who you talk to that might or might not come up but the covid19 phenomenon that has made this such a unique graduation and so many parents of High School Students, College Student s graduating this year, be it from west point or elsewhere know very very well it is different this year and doesnt the governor of missouri know it . Whats going on there that warrants attention, after this. Right now is a time for action. Thats why usaa is giving Payment Relief options to eligible members so they can pay for things like groceries before they worry about their insurance or credit card bills. Discover all the ways were helping members today. Neil all right, lets take a quick peak at whats going on at west point right now. Cadets are getting ready to hear from the commanderinchief. You might notice things are a little bit different this year at west point, as the cadets are separated by at least six feet between each other. Their parents, family members have to take all of this in virtually. They will not be there and not allowed to be there in person all of this in a covid19 environment and world where the cadets will hear, about 1,100 of them from the president of the United States. All of this is the new reality. They were not supposed to have a formal graduation you might recall until we got word that the president was indeed going to address them and then things were sort of shifted around, shuffled around. This is the president s first address at west point. Every president , by the way, has addressed west point cadets with the exception since world war ii of Lindsey Graham on johnson, Richard Nixon and jimmy carter for various scheduling issues at the time were told, but otherwise, it is actually routine for a president at least the last six in a row, to address cadets at west point. In fact a couple have addressed them twice, bill clinton, george w. Bush and barack obama. All right, this environment though is different. This is unprecedented. If you think about it weve gotten into this before it is a new environment now, at least these west point cadets are having a graduation. Many have been shelved entirely because of the virus. What do you make of this , and how its being handled . No, i think it is an entirely new environment, as you say, and i think that this is a great example of as we move forward, there are tradeoffs that we take between returning to the degree of normal it that we all crave and knowing that this virus is still among us and that we need to be safe. We need to take protection and we need to continue distancing, masks, hygiene as well as we possibly can, or else we will continue to see cases rise. Neil and apparently we are, doctor. Whether that approach is an alarming level were told already that a couple of states, utah and oregon, are putting off their reopening stages, the phases that theyve had until they get a handle on what have been a pretty serious spike in cases. Now, are you worried about that or is it something that weve got to prepare for . What do you think . Yeah, i think it is something that we have to prepare for. I think continuing to be vigilant, i think that its tempting we see increase in cases to say well this is more testing, but in states like the ones you mentioned where a percent positive is increasing where Hospital Capacity is becoming shorter, that being willing to continue to change the plans that we had to say okay were not ready to move on to the next phase, we need to make sure we have a handle on social distancing that we have a handle on people wearing masks. We know these things work we just have to make sure that we do them and we dont move forward too quickly and were willing to reassess so i think the steps those states are taking now are prudent and i think that all of us, as we continue to reopen, are going to have to be open to the fact we might have to reassess. Neil you know, the spikes in cases is looked upon sometimes a little differently by the smart folks such as yourself, doctor and say well it could be evidence of testing thats improved so youre obviously going to get more cases and then they start looking under the hood on those cases and they realize certainly whats going on in utah and oregon that many are testing positive for the virus and that changes the equation here. I know they like to have for various phases of reopening about a 3 , you know, positive virus response in a lot of these states its well over that. Is there an acceptable number to you . You know, i think that its more of a question of trend and if that is the number of cases and the percent positive is increasing whether or not its. 5 of a percent or 1 , the question is is that increasing . Is it evidence of more transmission just not more testing and if youre really se, even a low sustained increase in transmission, in the percent of people who are testing positive, thats a sign that your Disease Burden is increasing, and if we are doing the things that we need to do, social distancing, masks, hand hygiene, our Disease Burden, were going to keep see ing disease and keep seeing people testing positive until the virus is gone and this virus is definitely not gone, but see ing an increasing positive even low level is a sign to me that we have to say all right what are we doing what the can we do differently . Because we know we know from experience in new york city, we know from experience elsewhere, that theres an exponential rate and that we cant get to that level. Neil doctor, thank you very very much. Taking precautions wise advice doing that exactly at west point those cadets spread about six feet apart waiting to hear from their commanderinchief. More after this. I got an oriole here. Eh. Common bird. Ooh look over here something much better. There it is. Peacock, included with xfinity x1. Remarkable. Fascinating. Very. It streams tons of your favorite shows and movies, plus the latest in sports news and. Huh run the newest streaming app has landed on xfinity x1. Now thats. Simple. Easy. Awesome. Xfinity x1 just got even better with peacock premium included at no additional cost. No strings attached. Just say peacock into your voice remote to start watching today. Neil all right, taking you to west point new york, the president of the United States will be addressing to some 1,100 cadets there who will be formally graduating today, and that Second Lieutenants in the world once our commission thats effective immediate. The president a little bit earlier we had some bit of him leaving the main hall here, he will be making his way to this field, the graduation not being held at a stadium right now, normally, thats where youd find relatives, friend, everyone else, and the cadets themselves as much as the School Administration officers, prior graduates, very different this year with covid19. What we are hearing reports of the protesters who were outside of the town of west point that encircles the west Point Academy here, but didnt look like too too many but well keep an eye on that for you and theres also talk about how the cadets will react to all of this , post demonstrations across the country, indeed the world since the death of george floyd that has factored into this the president s comments on security in this day and age to keep the country safe whether that again are among the things that the president discusses we shall see. Meanwhile i do want to go to mike parsons the governor of the beautiful state of missouri. Governor youve been dealing with covid19 like your 49 other colleagues, democrat and republican alike and now were hearing about these spikes in cases so much so that in a couple of states theyre already reassessing the phased opening or continued opening there. How are you dealing with it . Yeah, neil were doing good here in missouri. Now that weve got the information, the date that we need to make decisions was really important its the thing that we really lacked for a while because nobody had it and we build our own models in the state of missouri and that helped us make the decision as we know now we can do boxin strategy, what we call whether its nursing home, food processing, whether its the prison system or the nursing homes. Different things like that or we can, and we build up our testing strategy in African American communities we know who really effects us now and we have a lot more information so thats really been able to help us to make the decision to fully open thats coming tuesday. State of missouri will be fully open for business but i think its still important to realize the virus is still there, weve got to be able to protect the people, Public Safety but you have to open up the economy. You have to do both and im comfortable and confident that the people in the state will be able to do both. Neil you know, governor the president is addressing the cadets at west point today so they will at least have a graduation, albeit a little bit different one with all of the covid19 restrictions. In your state, how has that been going . Has that allowed colleges, universities, dare i say high schools to have normal graduations, or given the timing of all of this just not so . Yeah, do you know what . First of all let me say congratulations to the cadets that are graduating and what a great opportunity that is for them to be there today, and to continue that tradition on. Our graduations in the state of missouri were encouraging the schools to have the graduations if they can but were leaving it up to the districts simply because you have Small Schools and large schools, and there is a lot of ways that you can do that whether its on a football field , whether its outside. I had a great opportunity to be able to speak at my granddaughters graduation, of course her first graduation and first, my first speech at a commencement at a graduation for High School Students so they did it very safely they organiz ed it and made the social distancing was a key to that, but people can understand the situation now. They can make common sense decisions and i think youre going to see that. It seems like we dont talk so much about the common sense side people take that responsibility themselves but people are doing a good job day in and day out, understanding this virus. Neil you know, you dont mind my going back to your days as a sheriff, governor, because it comes at a time obviously youve seen all of the disruptions and the protests certainly whats happening in seattle right now where citizens have taken over a sixseven block radius. Weve also heard that the Minneapolis Council has voted to abolish the Police Department that was unanimous i dont know how far that go, governor but we do know that new york city similarly wants to cut 1 billion from the Police Department budget. Are you worried about these developments . You know youre always worried about that when you see people like that and you wonder how many people are willing to do that. Its disappointing any time that anybody starts talking about youre going to do without Police Officers, no matter where youre at in this country there is so many things day in and day out Police Officers do that not consider a traffic stop. Youre talking about homicides, youre talking about traffic accidents, youre talking about notifying people in serious incidents and for me in the state of missouri when i was governor ive had tornadoes, floods, covid19, protesters, all along the way weve had to have Law Enforcement people depend on them every day, every hour, every second of the day, somebody is answering a 911 call and its great to do, i want to say a reaction to a bad situation and it was what happened in minnesota but the reality of it is you just cant change a system on a whim here. Law enforcement has been here for a long long time and its going to continue to be in this country and its going to continue to be in my state and im going to support those guys every day for what they do. Neil governor thank you very very much. Always good chatting with you here. Again on the left side of your screen youre watching ceremon ies for the graduation of 1,100 cadets of west point. Its about 50 miles north of new york city, deep in history, there were protests going on there but you think of all of the revolutionary towns nearby, cornwall, beacon, new york, newb urg, all deep in history, west point historic in and of itself and the sixth u. S. President in a row is about to address, after this. Stock slices. For as little as 5, now anyone can own companies in the s p 500, even if their shares cost more. At 5 a slice, you could own Ten Companies for 50 instead of paying thousands. All Commission Free online. Schwab stock slices an easy way to start investing or to give the gift of stock ownership. Schwab. Own your tomorrow. Neil all right, a few minutes away waiting to hear from the president of the United States addressing cadets at west point here. Lt. General William Lennox jr. Joins us now a former west point superintendent. Usually the job i believe general of introducing these venues as the president of the United States. What do you think of this one . Its got to be very different when youre looking at it here certainly not like prior graduations weve seen. What do you think . Neil thanks for getting me on here and its a great day to be a soldier. Yeah, this is different, and the planning that went into this is tremendous. Its a show on the parade field, out in front of the George Washington statue in the mess hall. The thing id miss the most are the importants and supporters that are normally there, the mentors and the staff and faculty. Theyre really a part of this , and its a sad day when you miss that, but other than that well go ahead and get these great young, this great young class of 2020 graduate and moving on to do their work as young Junior Officers in the United States army. Neil youve senior share of graduations obviously in your history and own Incredible Service to the country. Im just wondering for this class, these are pretty dicey times if you think about it and obviously whats been happening leaving the virus aside but growing protest movements and the like that have put the military in this odd role do we have to involve ourselves, should we involve ourselves whats going on in seattle whether troops should be sent in or National Guard, its got to be for a guy like you just going back and forth on this the role the military plays now. Yeah, let me just talk to that. I think each class has its own crisis and the tough times that they are going to face over a 10 20 year career, when i graduated in 71 it was the winddown of the vietnam war and i was supposed to go and ended up being pulled back and we had racial unrest during the 70s there. The class of 2002 the first class that as superintendent i graduated we had president bush come in and talk about 9 11 and what those young cadets were going to be doing as Junior Officers over the next 1020 years so each class has its own issues that it deals with, and thats why the leadership and the military training and the academic training that goes into these cadets over 47 months is so very important. Our mission is to develop leader s of character and our oath is to the constitution, and i think thats critical during these times that we remember that, we keep that in mind as we face these different crisis. This class is going to do great. I know they are going to do great. Neil you know, general i dont want tougher you into politics but id be remiss if i didnt mention some of the back and forth the president has had with top military types including the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff who regretted his accompanying the president a member of that day after the protests in washington on Lafayette Square where it looked like a photo op, and he regret ted the appearance of that what do you think of that . Well i think a couple things first of all, we are apolitical. We have to stay apolitical, and again, that oath to the constitution plays. A leader has to be above any suspicion. That means that youve got to go that extra mile and thats what general milley was doing and he got caught in a bad position where it appeared that he was supporting a political event whether it was or not, and he has the signal to all of the Junior Officers that this is not something thats acceptable. You can not participant in a political event with your uniform, so i think he did the right thing in coming out its a teaching moment and he took that opportunity to teach the Junior Officers that we have to stay apolitical. You do not want the American People do not want military sid ing with one party or another. Neil general, i have you as well, sir. Theres a move by many of your colleagues retired and otherwise , who want to revisit these army bases that are named after confederates, generals and soldiers, and that maybe in this present environment that isnt a good idea. The president thinks thats ridiculous, changing their names and all. Your thoughts . Yeah, i think most of those bases were named in the early 1900s and that was a mistake. I cant imagine going back taking a look at the why leadership at that point in time would choose confederal generals to be the icons that we wanted to look up to and that was a mistake. Now, since that time, saying that, those bases, and the names really have become locations as opposed to thinking about bra xton bragg or hood, any of the others they are locations. They are locations where people have deployed from. They are places where people have taken their base in training, so over history, they really have taken on a different vision, if you will. Now that said, if the American People and our Congress Pass a law, ill go back again. We take our oath to the constitution, the army in the past has changed. We will change and well do the right thing, but it is interesting at this time that were doing that, and furthermore, i hope were taking this moment in history to do more than just tear down statues and rename things. I think this is an opportunity for real dialogue and ill give you a great example. Ask me to take a look at general brown, the chief of staff in the air force coming in as chief he talked to his people and told him about his experiences as sort of a bridge between black and white. Hes African American, and what hes been through, trying to pull things together, a remarkable man and i think were going to be seeing an awful lot of him. Neil general thank you very much and for your service. I was looking forward to our chat and now i know why. Lt. General William Lennox jr. Former west point superintendent. The president of west point superintendent right now is addressing cadets and the president lets listen in, David Williams who will introduce the president of the United States. Mr. President , thank you for being here today. We know you share our pride of these incredible new leaders. The class of 2020 has a special message for you. Class of 2020 on your feet. Go army [applause] have a seat. Todays ceremony is unusual in a number of ways, most notably the physical absence of family and friends to cheer on our graduates; however, there is still a celebration and were thrilled to share it with friends, family, and the entire nation through a live broadcast made possible through the support and generosity of several of our alumni. To them, i would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks. Id also like to thank the members of the class of 1970 , the 50year affiliate class, for their support and mentor ship to these young men and women over the past four years. You have demonstrated the strength of the long grey line as you gripped hands with the class of 2020, demonstrating the unbreakable bonds that link west points past, present, and future. And to the moms and dads, guardians and grandparents, brothers and sisters, boyfriends and girlfriends and fiancees, friends and wellwishers, thank you. Thank you for the love, support, and encouragement youve given these Outstanding Young men and women throughout their lives. Id also like to remember someone who was here with us in spirit today, your classmate, our teammate, and our brother, c. J. Morgan. C. J. Was an outstanding cadet athlete an exemplar of west point values. We miss him but i know his memory and example will be with you wherever you go. Class of 2020, today marks the culmination of your west point journey. You came here with the desire to serve and to be part of something much larger than yourself. You encouraged, helped, and loved each other, as you became brothers and sisters in arms. As a class, you have completed the worlds most challenging, most demanding Leader Development experience and youve done it with honor, with distinction, with excellence. Fulfilling your oath requires strong character. The west pointed cadet prayer challenges us to always choose the harder right over the easier wrong. The phrase is easy to say but often difficult to do. Your challenges ahead will require moral and physical courage. In our great army, there are soldiers awaiting your arrival right now, wondering if their lieutenant will be worth following. Their loved ones wonder if you will care for their soldier. Your character and leadership are essential for answering those questions. Be the officer worth following and take care of your soldiers and their families. Emulate those who have come before you. Leaders such as Award Recipient captain lindsay hysler and lt. Colonel Matthew Meyer who have marched upon these very grounds where were gathered here today, leaders who have led in peace, and in war. Today, you take your place in the long grey line as the newest officers in the United States army, ready to lead, to fight, and to win on any battlefield. As our chief of staff of the army general mcconville says there is no second place for Honorable Mention in combat winning matters. And joining the profession of arms you carry on that proud legacy, by committing yourselves to duty, honor, country. You are ready to rise to the challenge of completing the mission while building cohesive teams based on trust. Put your people first always as you protect and defend the constitution of the United States of america. And as your class motto compels you with vision you will lead, and now, ladies and gentlemen, it is migrate honor to introduce the 45th president of the United States of america, the honorable donald j. Trump. [applause] President Trump thank you, general. And hello, cadets. On behalf of our entire nation, let me say congratulations to the incredible west point class of 2020. Congratulations. Everyone, have a good time, enjoy yourselves because we are here to celebrate your achievements and great achievements they are. Let us also recognize your remarkable superintendent, general darryl williams, whore his outstanding stewardship, general, thank you very much. Great job. Thank you. [applause] President Trump a few words in the english language and few places in history have commanded as much awe and admiration as west point. This premier military academy produces only the best of the best, the strongest of the strong, and the bravest of the brave. West point is a universal symbol of american gallantry, loyalty, devotion, discipline, and great skill. There is no place on earth i would rather be than right here with all of you. Its a great honor. Across this plane have passed many of the greatest soldiers that have ever lived. They were heros who drove thundering columns of sherman tanks into the heart of a wicked empire. They were legends who unleashed the fury of american artillery, upon our enemies on remote islands and distant shores. There were titans who strode through canon blasts and cavalry charge and stared down our foes through great clouds of smoke and shrapnel. They were the army rangers who led the way up jagged cliffs, the airborne soldiers who rained down justice in the dark of night, the infantry whose very sight meant liberation was near, and the mighty forces who sent t yrants, terrorists and sad istic monsters running scared through the gates of hell. No evil force on earth can match the nobel power and righteous glory of the american warrior. I have no doubt that the young men and women before me today will add your names to this eternal chronicle of american heros. You will go forth from this place adored by your countrymen, dreaded by your enemies, and respected by all throughout the world. Some day, generations of future west point cadets will study your legacy. They will know your deeds. They will celebrate your triumph s, and they will proudly follow your example. To the 1,107 cadets who today become the newest officers in the most exceptional army ever to take the field of battle, i am here to offer americas salute. Thank you for answering your nations call. On this special occasion, we are delighted to be joined by congressman steve womack, secretary of the army ryan mccarthy, assistant secretary casey wodinsky, and army chief of staff general james mcconville, an old grad from the class of 1981. Lets also express our appreciation to general curtis b uzzard, general cindy je b, and all of the wonderful instructors, coaches, and faculty members who are continuing west points two century tradition of unrivalled excellence. To all of the parents, grandparents and family members watching this ceremony, from your beautiful home, even though you could not be here today, we know this day could never have happened without you, your love and sacrifice have given america these phenomenonal men and women cadets, please join me in sending your parents and families the heartfelt thanks that they so richly deserved, theyre all watching right now, please. [applause] [cheers] President Trump thank you very much. The depth and breadth of the United States militarys contributions to our society are an everlasting inspiration to us all. I want to take this opportunity to thank all members of america s armed forces in every branch, active duty, National Guard and reserve who step forward to help battle the invisible enemy, the new virus, that came to our shores from a distant land called china we will vanquish the virus, we will extinguish this plague. I also want to thank the men and women of our National Guard, who respond with precision, to so many recent challenges from hurricanes and natural disasters to ensuring peace, safety and the constitutional rule of law on our streets. We thank every citizen who wears a uniform and Selfless Service to our nation. The members of this class have come from every state in our union. You have come from the farms and the cities from states big and small and from every race, religion, color, and creed, but when you enter these grounds you became part of one team, one family, proudly serving one Great American nation. You became brothers and sisters, pledging allegiance to the same time less principles but joined together in a common mission, to protect our country, to defend our people, and to carry on the traditions of freedom, equality and liberty, that so many gave their lives to secure. You exemplify the power of shared National Purpose through transcend all differences and achieve true unity. Today you graduate as one class and you embody one nobel creed. Duty, honor, country. Every graduate on this field could have gone to virtually any topranked university but you chose to devote your life to the defense of america. You came to west point because you know the truth. America is the greatest country in Human History and the United States military is the greatest force for peace and justice the world has ever known. The survival of america and the endurance of civilization itself depends on the men and women just like each of you. It depends on people who love their country with all their heart and energy and soul. It depends on citizens who build , sustain, nurture, and defend institutions like this one. That is how societies are made and how progress is advanced. What has historically made america unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment. When times are turbulent, when the road is rough, what matters most is that which is permanent, timeless, enduring, and eternal. It was on this soil that american patriots held the most vital fortress in our war for independence. It was this school that gave us the men and women who fought and won a bloody war to extinguish the evil of slavery within one lifetime of our founding. It was the graduates of west point, figures like mcarthur,pat ton, eisenhouer how er and bradley, who led america to victory over the sinister nazis andimperial fascists. 75 years ago it was under the leadership of west point graduates like the legendary general matthew ridgeway, that the army was at the forefront of ending the terrible injustice of segregation. It was Army Strength that held the line against brutal opposition and oppression from communism, and it has been thanks to patriots like you that america has climbed to new heights of human achievement and national endeavor. This is your history. This is the legacy that each of you inherits. It is the legacy purchased with american blood at the crest on the crimson beaches of normandy in the freezing mud of bastone, and the dense jungles of vietnam it is the legacy of courageous, selfless, faithful patriots who fought for every inch of dirt with every ounce of strength, and every last scrap of heart and drive and grit they had, and they did it because they believed in the undying principles of our founding. They did it because they cherish ed they did it because they cherished their home, their faith, their flag and they did it because when they came to this school, they were taught to hold fast to their love of our country, to cherish our heritage, learn from it and build upon it. That is what Young Americans are taught here at west point. That is the legacy that you Carry Forward as Second Lieutenants in the United States army and you must never forget it. Through four long years you have honed your skills, trained your mind and body over every obstacle and earned your place of pride in the long gray line. You made it through the rigors of our day and beast and intensity of cldt and weeks of training in the blistering heat. You have pushed yourselves far beyond every limit imaginable. Some of you have even pushed the limits a bit too much. So for any cadets who have not finished walking off their hours, as commanderinchief, i he hereby absolve all cadets on restriction for minor conduct offenses and that is effective immediately, congratulations. [applaus [applause] thats a nice one, isnt it . Dont you feel better now . Surviving the 47month experience is never easy, but only the class of 2020 can say it survived 48 months and when it comes to bragging rights, no one can boast louder than the class that brought navys 14year winning streak to a screeching halt. You did that. I happened to be there. [applause]. I happened to be there. Thats right. That was a big day. I was there. You beat navy and brought the commanderinchiefs trophy back to west point for two straight years, so we say, go army go this graduating class secured more than 1,000 victories for the black knights including three bowl victories, 13 ncaa team appearances, and a womans Rugby Championship with the help of somebody that i just met, 2019 mvp, sam sullivan. Fantastic job. Thank you. Fantastic. [applause] five cadets won National Boxing championships and odia queen brought home two, Brendan Brown earned Power Lifting national champion. In academics 38 cadets earned fellowships to continue their studies including first captain dayne vandewal who received one of the prestigeous in scholarship, the rhodes scholarship. Congratulations. Great achievement. Mra no one modeled quite like lindy, the overall class standing and highest physical program score. She has published Scientific Research in a prominent journal and set five new records on the athletic track. Lindy, incredible job. Where is lindy . Where is lindy . [applaus [applause] for somebody that did so well, they didnt give you a very good seat. Lindy. We have to talk about that. [laughter] congratulations. Right now, America Needs a class of cadets by your model, with vision we lead. We need you to carry on the spirit of the great general ulysses s grant. Soon after assuming overall command following three years of union setbacks, general grant encountered someone headed north to washington during the battle of the wilderness. If you see the president , grant said, tell him from me that whatever happens there will never be no turning back. We need you to be as visionary as patton, who as a young man in 1917 became the first soldier assigned to the army tank corps. One month into the job he saw the future writing, if resistance is broken, and the line is pierced, the tank must and will assume the role of pursuit cavalry and ride the enemy to death. Under pattons leadership, thats exactly what they did. We need you to be as bold and determined as the immortal general Douglas Macarthur who knew that the american soldier never ever quits. After leaving the philippines for australia at a low point of the pacific war, in 1942, macarthur famously vowed, i shall return. For two years he then took great strategic risks and placed himself often in personal danger. On october 20th, 1944 macarthur stepped off a landing boat, strode through kneehigh water and proclaimed, people of the philippines, i have returned by the grace of almighty god, our forces stand again on philippine soil. He then called upon the islands brave people to rise up and join the fight. Americas momentum was unstoppable. These great leaders were not afraid of what others might say about them, they didnt care. They knew their duty was to protect our country. They knew the army exists to preserve the republic and the strong foundations upon which it stands, family, god, country, liberty, and justice. They were true tough american patriots, that is what our country needs especially in these times. And that is what you are. Each of you begins your career in the army at a crucial moment in american history. We are restoring the fundamental principles that the job of the american soldier is not to rebuild foreign nations, but defend and defend strongly our nation from foreign enemies. We are ending the era of endless wars. In its place is a renewed cleareyed focus on defending americas vital interests. It is not the duty of u. S. Troops to solve ancient conflicts in far away lands that many people have never even heard of. We are not the policemen of the wor world, but let our enemies be on notice, if our people are threatened, we will never ever hesitate to act and when we fig fight, from now on, we will only fight to win. As macarthur said, in war there is no substitute for victory. To ensure you have the very best equipment and technology available, my administration has embarked on a colossal rebuilding of the American Armed forces, a record like no oth other. After years of devastating budget cuts and a military that was totally depleted from these endless wars, we have invested over 2 trillion, trillion, thats with a t dollars in the most powerful fighting force by far on the planet earth. We are building new ships, bombers, jet fighters and helicopters by the hundreds. New tanks, military satellites, rockets and missiles. Even a Hypersonic Missile that goes 17 times faster than the fastest missile currently available in the world, and can hit a target 1,000 miles away within 14 inches of center point. For the first time in 70 years we established a new branch of the United States military, the space force. Its a big deal. In recent years americas warriors have made clear to all the high cost of threatening the American People. The savage isis caliphate has been 100 destroyed under the Trump Administration and its barbaric leader, al baghdadi is gone, killed, over and the worlds number one terrorist Qasem Soleimani is likewise dead. As commanderinchief, i never forget for one instant the immense sacrifices we ask of those who wear this nations uniform. Already you have known the crushing pain of losing a brother in arms. Today we remember an extraordinary cadet who made the supreme sacrifice in an accident last year. Cj morgan. Were deeply moved to be joined by his father Christopher Morgan and cj was something very special. Christopher is a secret service agent, a tough guy, a great guy, great son who is looking down right now. Christopher, i want you to know that we will carry cjs blessed memory in our hearts forever. Thank you very much. Thank you. [applaus [applause] tomorrow america celebrate a very important anniversary, the 245th birthday of the United States army. Unrelated, its going to be my birthday, also. I dont know if that happened by accident, did that happen by accident, please . But its a great day because of that Army Birthday and as you know, the armys first commanderinchief, general George Washington called the fort that stood on this majestic point the most important post in america. Its strategic location on the hudson river was vital to our war for independence. If british ships gained control of this river, they would have divided our young nation in two. So american soldiers stretched a massive metal chain across the waters of the hudson from west point all the way to constitution island. I saw a piece of that chain. Its incredible. No enemy ship even dared try to cross. Every link in that great chain was formed from over 100 pound of pure american iron, mined from american soil, and made with american pride. Together those links formed an unbreakable line of defense. Standing here before you, more than two centuries later, its clearer than ever that general washingtons words still hold true, west point is still the indispensable post for america. The vital ground that must not lose, and the survival of our nation still depends on the great chain reaching out from this place, one made not of iron, but of flesh and blood of memory and spirit of sheer faith and unyielding courage. Today each of you becomes another link in that unbroken chain, forged in the crucible thrown as the United States military economy, the greatest on earth. It has given you soldiers that you can rely on to your right and to your left and now we are entrusting you with the most noble task any warrior has ever had the privilege to carry out, the task of preserving american liberty. As long as you remain loyal, faithful and true, then our enemies dont even stand a chan chance. Our rights will never be stolen. Our freedoms will never be trampled. Our destiny will never be denied and the United States of america will never be defeated. With the grace of god and the heroes of west point, america will always prevail. Nothing will stand in your way, nothing will slow you down, and nothing will stop the west point class of 2020 from achieving a true and lasting victory. God bless you. God bless the United States army and god bless america. Congratulations. Thank you very much. Thank you. [applaus [applause]. Neil all right for the 1107 west point cadets, hearing from the commanderinchief a reminder how much owe to these young men and women who follow a stellar example of west point graduates. Just looking at it, the school has included the likes of robert e. Lee, ulysses grant. Our present secretary of state, mike pompeo. Dwight eisenhower. Douglas macarthur, george patton, jefferson davis, the president of the confederate union. General custer, william t. Sherman, on and on we go. An illustrious history. Lets go back to the president , and he will not be able to shake hands with them. But singing of the corps, a song second in importance only to the alma mater, the corps was first sung in 1911. Attention the corps, the corps the corps all right, you continue to watch the graduating class of west point. 1107 young men and women, black and white, a crosssection of the very best of our country. Kindly waiting through all of this is senator tim scott, republican of south carolina. Senator, very, very good to have you on this day especially. Thank you. Neil you know, its always impressive when you see the next generation and who is coming up and the great future thats in store when you look at all the troubles of the recent weeks. It does give you some hope, does it not . It really does. I will say that my brother went to the air force economy and graduated in 1991 and i was reflecting on how powerful our military really is. Not simply from global dominance with the defeat of the nazis or the defeat of the communists, but even here at home. The president s speech really spoke to breaking the back of segregation and ending slavery. Youre talking about men and women who rise to the occasion because no one else will do it. That to me filled my eyes with a little with a tear and at the same time, it spoke to the type of nation we are, not that we aspire to be, but that we are right now. We are the greatest nation on earth. We are the most optimistic people on earth and we can do whatever we set our minds to. That was just a really great snapshot for americans who are looking for hope, look right in the mirror and know that we are it and frankly, our kids, our nephews, our friends, are rising to the occasion in a way that in very few places around the world theyre doing it voluntarily. Neil and theres inspiration in that and great inspiration in just you, senator, and your accomplishments and the example you provide. And my friends, if we could just stay full on the senator right now. Senator, one of the things that you have been trying to sort of broker here is post, obviously, the george floyd tragedy, to move forward on racial issues, on the police abuse issues. Talk about threading a pretty controversial needle there, but the administration is working in concert with you, its trying to come up with a plan that meets that balance. Where are you on that . Were making tremendous progress, neil. I am very thankful. I spoke with one of the leaders on the house side, one of the democrat leaders on their legislation. I spoke with the white house recently as well. Everyone seems to have a sincere desire to get to an outcome that speaks to the American People about our willingness to listen and then respond. And what i mean by that is, were trying to eliminate the binary choice between Law Enforcement and communities of color. What were saying is, we can actually serve both. We still are one nation under god and the legislation that were working on actually reinforces that by getting the information necessary to improve the outcomes within the Law Enforcement community and the communities of color. Were looking at training, whether its deescalation training that will make sure that officers go home and so does the citizen. And were looking at the misconduct so that we can make sure that we have characterdriven officers in every single precincts in this country. We cant do it from washington and we shouldnt do it from washington, but we can send the right signal so our Law Enforcement officers and departments have the resources to build the type of confidence that is restored in the most vulnerable communities in our country. Neil but those resources are being taken away or at least a number of cities, even states, are pondering just that, senator. Minneapolis, the Council Voted unanimously to abolish the Police Department there. New york city leaders are looking meantime at slashing 1 billion from the Police Department budget. Other locales looking to do the same whether youre looking at portland, oregon or whats going on in seattle with the citizen takeover, if you will, of a sixblock area there. What do you make of all of these developments . Well, a couple of things. Number one, seattle, washington should send shivers down the spine of every single american. We are one nation and frankly, anywhere at anytime where people think that they can have their own autonomous zone, that is stems in stark contrast to who we are as a country. That has to come to an end sooner than later without any question. The notion of defunding the police is its a synonym to providing more access to criminals to the most Vulnerable People in the nation. It is one of the dumbest, im looking for a nice word, but i cant find one the dumbest idea ive heard in a long time is a defunding the police. Having a characterdriven department should be the goal. Eliminating the department only means the most Vulnerable People become more vulnerable. Who is going to respond and when i was a kid someone broke into our house. The Police Showed up. Im thankful that we had the Law Enforcement officers. When i had a major car accident, the police were there to help me out. So while we have to improve the outcome, eliminating the police will not improve the outcome, it will put our nation in jeopardy. If you like order, if you like the ability to live your lives and sleep in peace, we need the police and need to make sure the relationships are improved that are strengthened, not eliminated. Thats the absolutely wrong direction if ive ever heard of one. You know, senator, youre our only africanamerican senator and with that comes pressure on both sides, to walk this fine line. Democrats say, youre selling out to the Police Departments and trying to protect them. The other side says that, you know, you really have not followed through and gone after the president when hes made inte intemperate remarks. Even though youre critical, i find you to be a straight shooter, whether its the president saying it or anyone else. Do you feel that special pressure simply because youre africanamerican that you almost cant win . Well, theres no doubt that as the only africanamerican republican senator, i find myself in an interesting position, but here is the good news. This is not about me at all. What i think, and ive said this several times before, i think that god literally made me black on purpose, therefore how can i use all of my characteristics to serve a bigger cause, a greater purpose. This is know the about me. The pressure on my shoulders, while it can be daunting at times if i can remember i am a resource for the source i will be okay without question. The quest that im really after and the goal i have is to achieve the balance where truth is what we seek, outcomes is what we produce. Not to make it easier on me or this current generation of elected officials. We should do things that are hard. Should force ourselves to look shortterm at Police Reform and longterm at Economic Opportunity for every single zip code in this nation. If we forget that part, this part will never be good enough. We need to focus on the pillars of society. Law enforcement one part of it, education opportunity, incredibly important. What youll hear from me and frankly in the president in the future is this push towards creating more access to opportunity for the poorest zip codes in this country as we work towards connectivity through broadband. As we work for Better Outcomes for the poorest of kids and College Attainment for those who want to go and a kraer track to leads you to the middle class. This is the beginning of a conversation, its not the end of the conversation. Neil you know, senator, much has been made in terms of what you would ultimately propose in addressing some of these issues and many africanamerican leaders have, for example, been said if its left at just abandoning and forcing the Police Department not to use choke holds and the like, that wont cut it. What would you tell them that makes you feel this isnt just some papered over attempt to ease around the crisis . One of the things we have to do is realize the federal response on this is not as significant as we would like to make it out to be. Frankly, we should ask ourselves the question in most of the major cities that are actually run by democrats who have the power to make the changes that we are now looking to make on the federal level. Why havent they done it before . Its been issues for five, five, six seven decades in the history of the country. The truth of the matter is were stepping in to what states and localities have not done. The package were putting together. I took a look at the house bill, and put it in my bill. There are things in the house bill i think are nonstarters for republicans, like qualified immunity. Thats a nonstarter from my perspective. We took out poison pills on my side that i thought would bush the democrats away. From the outside looking in you should see a piece of legislation that drives the train in the right direction and accomplishes the outcomes that we think are important. Yes, were not trying to demonize the police. Thats not our goal. Im not suggesting that all cops are racist or most cops are bad. I dont believe that. We will not have that as part of the objective because its inconsistent with reality. We should have legislation that reinforced the point that characterdriven is especially in the vulnerable communities. How we get there is what legislation, i welcome the criticism because it will make the bill better. The objectives are just as important as the outcome. Senator, the president is against renaming these 10 army bases named off confederate officers, even though many in the Defense Department and elsewhere have been urging him to do so. Especially now. What do you think of that . Well, i just had a conversation with one of my universities in south carolina, thats renaming some of their halls and buildings on campus. This is going to be a long conversation. Neil university clemson, yes, sir, renaming the tillman hall. This is going to be a long conversation. Here is what i hope we dont do as a nation, rush to purge all of history to make it fit into todays climate. I think its constructive to have a conversation. I dont think its always helpful to eliminate signals of who we were in the past. Here is my example, neil. The pettis bridge, the location where john lewis nearly lost his life fighting for my right to vote, my right to become a senator one day. I thought that was a remarkable scene when president obama and president bush will standing under the pettis bridge, not the selma bridge, that picture reminds me how far weve come and also reminds me that we still have a ways to go. So, purging all of history to make us feel better wont provide a better education for the kid in the areas that i grew up. Id rather us spend 10 times more energy on what were going to do to create a Better Future than we are on framing the past. Important, but not nearly as important as the future. Neil senator tim scott, thank you very much, sir. Very good having you this day, be healthy and well, be safe. Thank you. Neil were monitoring developments at west point. The president wrapped up his speech to the 1107 cadets. John is there and whats the reaction to the president s speech . Its been very positive so far, neil, especially when he forgave cadets any minor indiscretions that would have them marching hours as the cadets punishment. cheers i believe they Just Announced the graduation of the west point goat and thats why the crowd is cheering. The goat is the well, the last in the class. Im not going to mention the name. I dont know the name at this moment, but every west pointer is happy that that last in the class got through and thats what happened here. So the president is if you notice, the president is [cheers] all right, the president is saluting two at a time, the graduates coming up to the the graduates are coming up in front of the president and receiving a smart salute so the president will be lifting his arm 1100 times to get the 1100 in. Usually theyre in the football stadium on post. This is on the plain with the 1100 cadets socially distanced in chairs and with no parents or family in attendance. The president made mention of that in his remarks, i believe we have that now. Charles dean stevenson. All right, apparently we do not, but he wanted the cadets to salute the family members who made it possible for him to be here among the most prestigious institutions of Higher Learning in the country. So, the reading of the names, the saluting, handing out of diplomas will go on for another hour or so and then the president will be heading back, we understand, to his bedminster golf resort, neil. Neil you know, there had been talk there will be protests in neighboring towns. They usually greet president s when they attend events, it looks like they were pretty small in number. Do you know anything about that . I did not see anything like that, we got here fairly early. West point is usually locked down and no protests outside the gates, the gates are a good mile from where we are now on the plain outside washington hall. Neil thank you, my friend. Great reporting from there, jon scott at west point. The festivities largely over right now as each cadet will get a chance to meet the president , just not shake hands with the president. So its odd in that sense, the covid19 the reason for that. Graduates out on the field there separated six feet not with their family, they had to celebrate virtually. We will have that, and the citizen takeover in seattle. The six block area continues. Its been bedevilling local officials on how to handle that. The problem, theyre in separate pages, the political leaders are saying one thing, the Police Leaders are saying another thing. That sometimes can be a worrisome thing. Well see. We will be in seattle after this. Cause the tempurbreeze transfers heat. Away from your body. So you feel cool. Night after night. During the tempurpedic summer of sleep, experience the mattress ranked number one in Customer Satisfaction by jd power. All right, the latest in seattle right now. A peaceful, but youre going to keep wondering how long does this go on . Back to jonathan hunt. Last hour you talked about it could go on for a while. What are you hearing right now . Well, the indications weve got from the mayor of seattle, jenny durkin and quite a while and she said in response to one of the President Trumps twitter, the summer of love. And no indication from the mayor that shes under any rush to get this resolved and get these people moved out from here. Let me show you part of the capitol hill autonomous zone. Neil, as you look up the street there, up on the righthand side, beyond the traffic lights, you can probably make out a blue tarp, that is the Seattle Police east precinct. That was the site of running battles about a week ago between protesters and the police. And that is the precinct that eventually the police left. That is when these protesters move in and theyve taken, as you were saying, about a sixblock radius of this. Since those clashes and since the police withdraw, this has been an entirely peaceful spot. The cameras have seen some armed guards walking around, neil, or people who consider themselves armed guards, but there has not been any indication whatsoever of violence. Theres aco op holding out free food and a conversation cafe with couches set up, discussing issues how to be antiracist, but no signs of violence whatsoever. Obviously, when President Trump tweets, he is concerned about law and order. He is concerned about the optics of the people taking over part of the city of seattle. He doesnt think those are good optics at all. And local leaders here, the mayor and the governor inslee, seem to have no problem at the moment. The police are no so happy about it. The police chief said it was not her idea that her officers should withdraw from the east precinct. They did so and now we are in this situation where we have several hundred here probably 24 hours a day and as seattle wakes up this morning, neil, were getting more and more people coming down just to take a look. Its a curiosity, i think, for a lot of people at the moment. How it plays out over the coming days and weeks may turn it into a very different kind of situation. We will have to see. If the Political Leadership in seattle and the state of washington decide at some point they need to take back these streets. But as i say, neil, right now theyre very happy for these protesters to be here, to make their voices heard as long as they do it peacefully. Neil. Neil let me ask you something, if im in that six, seven block radius, lets see what it is and i need the police, an emergency at my house or someone is breaking in. What happens . Who do i call . Yeah, the police have said quite plainly, if there is an emergency within this area, they are answering 911 calls. Im not aware that there has been a single 911 call within this sixblock radius since the autonomous zone as its called was set up, say that they will respond if there is an emergency. They have not had any need to at this point. I should point out, also, neil, the police chief best was actually here and at that precinct behind me on thursday to take a look inside. Thats when she made the point she wasnt happy about Police Officers withdrawing from it, but she doesnt seem to have either the political backing or the will, frankly at the moment, to brings the Police Officers back in. She has said at that point when it happens. Neil thank you, jonathan hunt, following very, very closely. And we were showing protests in new york galvanized by whats going on in seattle as well and as jonathan pointed out the possibility that other cities and municipalities could follow. Portland, oregon is one and theyre looking at this very, very closely in a number of communities. Jonathan, thank you very, very much. A lot is going to hinge on what happens on monday, the day that a lot of officials are talking about, another phase of reopening, im not talking just about Washington State and whats happening in seattle, but what will happen across the country, especially in the state of michigan. Thats the designated day not only public offices are open, but the salons and barber shops. And they say its not too soon. Carl, is that what youre hearing still, a monday opening . Yeah, its still on as far as i know, unless theres a change of heart or a change of mind here. That could happen that way. Were not sure, were not certainly always how this governor is going to react to things. Neil now, youve made it very clear, enough is enough. Youve gone after the governor, the government, the state in general that its your livelihood. Its a lot of other peoples liveliho livelihood. Whats the reaction . I was born in 1942, in 14 different administrations, i went through the polio virus, the 1967 with the hong kong flu virus, ive been through so many of these and this is the first time that our government you know i was listening with very much interest what President Trump was saying to the troops about foreign invaders. Right now we have to be awfully concerned and really have some interest in our own leaders here violating our own constitutional rights, our right to work, our freedoms, and when we give up those simple freedoms for an offer of safety in the words of ben franklin, we really deserve neither one. Im concerned in kind here, i have a living to make. I was prohibited by this rule, not necessarily a law, but a rule, an illegal rule by a governor here to seize power and i think these are the things that we have to be very, very careful of. You know, in our own nation. Foreign powers, but within our own borders here, thats why one of the reasons why we have a second amendment. Neil now, you fought this so much that you wanted to open up and said i will open up under the threat of having your license taken away. And so far, youve been able to stay open through this. There have been efforts on the part of state officials to shut you down. Where does that stand now . Well, ive been open since may 4th and ive gone through just about every kind of abuse that you can possibly imagine with the power brokers, people stealing power from us as laborers in this country, people just want to work. At one point i recall it was illegal to buy marijuana and now its illegal to get a haircut and legal to buy marijuana so things have kind of switched around a little bit here. So the Supreme Court came back 70 in my favor and referred to and really spanked in a way the judges and the attorneys that came forward with a law of hysteria, as they placed it, they said we dont base our laws on hysteria, we base our laws on the constitution and this is what i want to make a firm, firm stand against is the people who want to take our rights away for the promise of some unknown safety, whatever that may be, and its its remarkable the number of people that will fall in line for that. Happened before, its happened in other countries, happened in 1940s with the jewish people in the warsaw ghetto. It will happen again unless we are diligent. You know, about having our own politicians overstepping their assignment of power. Neil well, youve got the guy because youve started a cause, operation haircut has gone beyond your shop to a state calling and indeed a national calling. So youve started something, carl. Be well, be safe, be healthy. Carl from the barbershop in michigan, denied his governor and denied his state and went to the highest court that he can keep that shop open. Stay with us, amid the reopening, there is hope that some of them go better than others especially when you look at florida and other sites and you look on at sea world. Sea world. With us after this. This virus is testing all of us. And its testing the people on the front lines of this fight most of all. So abbott is getting new tests into their hands, delivering the critical results they need. And until this fight is over, we. Will. Never. Quit. Because they never quit. It is the great reopening going on all states across the country despite an uptick in coronavirus cases. In some states in this country. It is largely not affecting various states reopening, even on the part sea world. It will be opening up this week. Mark swanson, its ceo, joins us right now. Mark, how do things look for the reopening . Can you detail what youre planning . Hi, neil, its great to talk to you today from beautiful sea world, orlando where we just opened a couple of days ago and also opened our parks down in tampa, notably busch gardens. Weve spent a lot of times the last couple of months working on our safety protocols and excited to be open. We spent a lot of time with the c. D. C. , medical directors and epidemiologists so when you come to the park, you can feel good about it and feel safe. You will asee things like temperature screenings, well ask that you wear a mask, our employees are wearing masks. Sanitation throughout the park, physical distancing throughout the park and its not going to be super crowded. Our parks are wide open type of parks and its great to be open. The first day we opened on thursday, we had people lined up to get into the park well before we were open. Our biggest fans were excited to be here. I came in this morning with my family and walking through the park and hearing people riding the rollercoaster, screaming, having summer fun. Its great to be open. Neil are you on limited capacity . I know about the mask thing and everything else. How is that going . We are limiting capacity. We want to make sure we can provide a safe environment. But i also want to emphasize, you know, you can still have a really good time. You hopefully can hear some of the noises in the background of people riding rides, having a good time with their families, and trading memories. I brought my kids here as a father of three the very first day we were open because i know its a safe place and i wouldnt bring them here if i didnt think it was safe. Its fun and having a good time. One thing the viewers may not know, most of the tenants attendance come from people who drive to the parks. And they can come and have a good time. Neil ive been to your parks, try to go where the penguins are, its generally cool by them. Just try that. Mark swanson, thank you very, very much. Good luck with all of this. Mark is the sea world ceo with its big opening. Thank you, neil. Neil thank you, sir. Many of the amusement parks and other destinations certainly in florida will be formally opening in july. Again, at limited capacity, that includes disney world, it includes universal, disneyland is doing the same out in california. So slowly, but surely things are opening up. The one thing they all have to do and that gets pretty hot in florida, almost 90 degrees today, you wear that mask everywhere you go. Its hot. The crowd will deal with it. We will have more after that. Stock slices. For as little as 5, now anyone can own companies in the s p 500, even if their shares cost more. At 5 a slice, you could own Ten Companies for 50 instead of paying thousands. All Commission Free online. Schwab stock slices an easy way to start investing or to give the gift of stock ownership. Schwab. Own your tomorrow. Schwab. Ibut nothing makes me feel like pnew always discreet boutique. Outside, its soft like underwear. Inside, it turns liquid to gel. For incredible protection, that feels like nothing but my underwear. New always discreet boutique. All right, yeah, thats going to do it for us here. A really great day when you think of the country and the future and the problems and you see the young men and women in west point, the president recognizing each and every 1107 of them. They get a chance to salute the president , see the president , just not shake hands with the president. Its novel and different as it might have been, still historic nonetheless and they are part of history. Thats a proud moment. Fox news continues. Ill see you on monday. You are looking live at the u. S. Military academy at west point where this years class of 2020 just wrapping up their graduation ceremony. President trump who is still there, spoke at the commencement just a short while ago. He thanked the graduates for answering the nations call to service in a beautiful ceremony. Welcome to americas news headquarters. Live from washington d. C. On this beautiful saturday, im gillian turner, its great to be with everybody at home. Leland, its great to be with you. Leland nice to be with you. We add our congratulations and thanks to the class of 2020 th