"Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd said the Obama administration has a "trust deficit" with the American people that is making it hard to convince the public not to worry about an Ebola outbreak on U.S. soil.
While discussing the issue with White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer on Sunday, Todd ran through a laundry list of issues that have created that trust deficit over the past 18 months:
A graphic labeled "Trust in Government?" ticked off seven different scandals and failures:
- Edward Snowden steals NSA files
- VA fakes wait times
- IRS loses emails
- Healthcare.gov fails to launch
- Obama: U.S. underestimated ISIS
- DHS border failure
- Secret Service security breaches
Todd then asked Pfeiffer why anyone should trust his promise that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is able to handle the Ebola outbreak in West Africa or even the case in Texas.
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"You understand why there's more skepticism than normal?" Todd asked.
Pfieffer said the public should know that every time a problem arises, the government deals with it quickly and forcefully. He pointed to the summer surge at the southern border of Central American children seeking legal status.
Pfieffer said that every possible resource was brought in to deal with the crisis, and that "This month, crossings at the borders are less than they were this time last year."
"There always is a good reaction," Todd conceded, but added, "Ebola needs to be pro-action."
Pfieffer insisted the administration is doing just that with 3,000 military troops sent to West Africa to help local governments contain the problem.
A new
Associated Press-GfK poll hows that more than half of Americans no longer believe the administration is able to protect the public's personal safety or economic security.
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