-You know, this is really drawn in stark contrast,
the difference between people who have
and the people who have not,
and one thing that I believe is shocking to many,
and I wonder if you would have predicted it,
is the fact that during this terrible time,
billionaires have actually added to their wealth
at a time when so many people are living
paycheck to paycheck.
I mean, is this something that of course Senator Sanders
knew would happen at a time like this?
-Well, I think not just me, but I think economists in general.
We are -- and one of the issues, Seth, that, you know,
you're not going to hear too much in Congress or on TV,
frankly, is the issue of income and wealth inequality.
And as you have just indicated,
it has been exasperated by this crisis.
So we're seeing billionaires
seeing their wealth increase
by hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars,
while the most vulnerable people in this country
and working-class people in general
are living in desperation.
I mean, hunger in America is now widespread.
People are worried about being evicted from their apartments.
Where do they go? What do they do?
Unemployment is higher now than it has been
for a very, very long time.
So this issue of growing income and wealth inequality
and the power of the billionaire class
to influence politics --
they spend huge amounts of money
to elect candidates who represent
the wealthy and the powerful.
This is a fundamental issue which we cannot run away from.
-Whether it's fair or unfair,
a lot of people are counting on you to convince
the progressive wing of the Democratic Party
to support Biden.
You've been very vocal in your support of him.
Is he someone that you have had
a good relationship with over the years?
I know your politics are obviously different.
But how do you like him as a person?
-I have known Joe for --
since I got into the Senate in 2006,
and worked with him when he was Vice President under Obama.
And I have a good relationship with him.
And, as you've indicated, it is no great secret
that we have very different political views.
Joe is more of an establishment politician,
and I'm spending my life taking on the establishment.
But I am going to do everything that I can
to see that Biden is elected president.
Because in Trump, we have not just somebody who is
a pathological liar,
but somebody who does not really believe in democracy,
who has very strong authoritarian tendencies,
who is a racist and a sexist,
and a homophobe and a xenophobe.
And this is somebody that cannot be, in my view, re-elected
for the health and safety of this country.
So I'll do everything I can to support Joe and make sure
that Trump is not re-elected.
-Have you been happy thus far with the amount
former Vice President Biden has reached out to you
and other progressives in the party?
-Well, what he very kindly did, what Joe did
is agree to a set of task forces,
a half a dozen,
who are currently wrapping up their work,
actually, as we speak,
working on some of the most important issues
facing the country --
the economy, health care, education, climate change,
immigration, criminal justice, et cetera.
So, Biden was very good about reaching out.
We have brought into these task forces
some of the strongest progressive voices in America.
He has strong supporters of his,
and they are working on ways that we can come up
with real solutions
to the enormous crises facing this country.
And I've been pleased by that.
-I wanted to end on some positive news
because it's so hard to come by these days.
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 yesterday
basically making it illegal for employers to fire someone
based on them being gay or transgender.
Were you surprised, happy? What was your reaction?
-I was very happy.
Very happy and a little bit surprised.
It's no great --
everybody understands that the conservatives
dominate the Supreme Court 5-4,
and that we had Gorsuch and Roberts coming around
on this issue was very, very pleasing.
And I think as we fight for a less discriminatory society
where we treat people as who they are as human beings,
not the color of their skin, not their sexual orientation,
not where they were born.
This is a major, major, major step forward
for the LGBT community
and I think for the United States of America.
-Well, I will say what I said last time
we talked via Zoom.
I hope the next time's in person.
-So do I. -And if not,
we will make it work this way.
It's always a pleasure, Senator.
-Keep up the great work, Seth.
Thank you. -Thank you.