Today’s guest is Ron Klain, former Ebola response coordinator in the Obama Administration and current senior adviser to presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden. At the top of this week, when the pandemic is predicted to reach horrific peak levels in the New York/New Jersey region, Steve and Andrew ask Ron to look out in time – what are the conclusions that future observers might make about how we reached this treacherous moment? And what will be the deep structural changes required, post-pandemic, if we are to break the cycle of crisis and neglect and protect Americans, and resume leadership to shape the rest of the world? We round off the conversation with a discussion of former Vice President Biden’s thinking on the pandemic response, and what gives Ron confidence and hope. 

​Ron Klain served as chief of staff to two U.S. vice presidents – Al Gore and Joe Biden, and served as the United States Ebola response coordinator in the Obama Administration. He is currently a Washington Post columnist and adviser to the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign.