THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER TWO YEARS, YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE
REPORTING BECAUSE CLEARLY THIS
IS NOT AN ADMINISTRATION THAT’S
WILLING LOOK INTO IT ON ITS OWN.
>> WE ARE ONE DAY AWAY FROM THE
FIRST DEMOCRATIC DEBATE AND NEW
POLLING SUGGESTS THAT JOE
BIDEN’S CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS
ABOUT WORKING WITH
SEGREGATIONIST SENATORS HAS HAD
LITTLE IMPACT ON THE RACE.
THE MORNING CONSULT WEEKLY
TRACKING POLL LAST MONDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWS BIDEN WITH
38% AND 19 POINT LEAD FROM THE
WEEK BEFORE.
WEEK BEFORE. BERNIE SANDERS REMAINS IN SECOND
PLACE WITH 19% AND ELIZABETH
WARREN IS UP TWO POINTS TO 13%
WITH PETE BUTTIGIEG AT 7%.
KAMALA HARRIS AT 6%.
CORY BOOKER AT 3%.
A SUB SAMPLE FROM THE EARLY
CONTEST STATES EVEN FOUND BIDEN
GAINING THREE POINTS UP TO 43%.
BERNIE SANDERS AT 21%.
WARREN AT 9%.
BUTTIGIEG, HARRIS, BOOKER,
O’ROURKE AND KLOBUCHAR TRAILING.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THOSE
NUMBERS?
NUMBERS? STRONG FOR BIDEN.
>> AGAIN, REALLY STRONG FOR JOE
BIDEN.
BIDEN. >> AMIDST --
>> GOING INTO THE DEBATE
WHERE -- WELL, I’LL TALK TO YOU
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. I CALLED YOU YESTERDAY, NOT ONLY
BECAUSE I LOVE TALKING TO YOU IN
THE --
THE -- >> YOU GUYS TALKED FOR A LONG
TIME.
TIME. WHAT IS THAT?
I DON’T TALK TO ANYONE THAT
LONG.
LONG. >> WHILE HAVING MY MINT JULEP
AND SMOKING MY CIGAR.
>> YOU GUYS DON’T HAVE THE TIME
FOR THIS.
FOR THIS. >> I MAKE HIM CALL ME BIG DADDY.
WHAT YOU HEARING ON THE LINE?
PANAMA HAT.
PANAMA HAT. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> REALLY WEIRD THOUGH, BECAUSE
I’M IN A CO-OP.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> UPPER EAST SIDE.
>> LAYING IN BED TALKING.
>> I’VE GOT MY BUCKS ON.
LOOK.
LOOK. >> THERE YOU GO.
>> LOOK AT THAT.
>> I’LL TELL YOU WHAT, SO
ANYWAY, I CALLED YOU YESTERDAY
BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN HEARING
THROUGHOUT THE DAY GROWING
CONCERNS ABOUT JOE BIDEN.
AND HE’S NOT UP TO IT.
HE’S TOO OLD.
THE REMARKS LAST WEEK.
AND YET, IT SEEMS YOU LOOK AT
WHAT REVEREND AL AND WHAT JOHN
LEWIS AND WHAT JIM CLYBURN AND A
LOT OF HEROES -- A LOT OF CIVIL
RIGHTS HEROES SAID ABOUT HIM,
THEY’RE FINE WITH HIM.
IT LOOKS LIKE VOTERS IN THE
EARLY STATES ARE FINE WITH HIM.
>> YEAH, AS I MENTIONED TO YOU I
WAS AT THE EVENT A WEEK OR SO
AGO WHEN HE MADE THE NOW FAMOUS
REMARKS AND I THOUGHT HE WAS ON
HIS GAME.
HIS GAME. AS I SAID TO YOU, IRONICALLY I
THINK IN A WAY TRUMP LOWERED
EXPECTATIONS.
EXPECTATIONS. HE’S SENDING OUT ALL THE TWEETS
ABOUT SLEEPY JOE AND WE WENT IN
WITH SOMEWHAT LOWER EXPECTATIONS
AND I THINK HE DELIVERED.
HE WAS CRISP.
HE GAVE A STUMP SPEECH.
I DON’T THINK ANYONE WALKED OUT
AND SAID, WOW, THAT’S THE
GREATEST THING I EVER HEARD AND
HE WAS FINE.
THEN HE HAD A COUPLE OF REMARKS
IN THE MIDDLE WHICH OBVIOUSLY
BLEW UP.
BLEW UP. AS YOU SAID, WHAT I’LL CALL THE
BLACK ESTABLISHMENT FOR LACK OF
A BETTER WORD SEEMS TO HAVE
RALLIED AROUND HIM AND BASICALLY
SAID -- EVEN CORY BOOKER SAID
THE OTHER DAY, WHEN HE WAS ASKED
DO YOU THINK JOE BIDEN IS A
RACIST?
RACIST? HE SAID ABSOLUTELY NOT.
HE SAID A COUPLE OF UNFORTUNATE
THINGS SO I THINK HE’S PLAYING
HIS GAME.
HIS GAME. SO FAR, SO GOOD.
WE’LL SEE HOW IT RUNS --
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A BIG WEEK
AHEAD OF HIM.
WE’LL SEE HOW IT GOES.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. ELISE, OBVIOUSLY TRUMP IS
HELPING JOE BIDEN’S CAUSE BY
ATTACKING HIM EVERY DAY.
>> SHOWS HOW WEAK.
>> DO YOU WANT TO HEAR MORE ON
THIS?
THIS? >> PLAY IT.
PLAY IT, THEN GO --
>> HOLD ON.
ALEX IS SAYING THAT WE HAVE TO
READ A SCRIPT.
ALEX, THIS IS "MORNING JOE."
>> I KNOW.
>> WE DON’T DO SCRIPTS.
AND WE LIKE --
>> BLAME IT ON DAN NEXT TO YOU.
THAT’S THE BETTER THING TO DO.
>> DON’T YOU HAVE --
>> IT’S DAN’S FAULT.
>> DON’T YOU HAVE --
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> HOLD ON.
>> WE HAVE TO SET IT UP.
>> THEY READ THE MUELLER REPORT.
>> HE WANTS YOU TO SET IT UP.
>> LITHGOW.
>> LITHGOW. >> I GET IT.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP IS RENEWING
THE ATTACKS AGAINST JOE BIDEN
AND -- YOU SEE I’M READING, AT
THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT’S
MENTAL HEALTH.
MENTAL HEALTH. HE SAID IT’S DECLINING.
THE PRESIDENT MADE THE CLAIM
DURING HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE
HILL.
HILL. WITHOUT PROVIDING ANY EVIDENCE
TO BACK IT UP, ADDING THAT’S THE
REAL REASON WHY FORMER PRESIDENT
OBAMA HAS NOT ENDORSED BIDEN.
>> HOW HE DOESN’T GET PRESIDENT
OBAMA TO ENDORSE HIM THERE HAS
TO BE SOME REASON WHY HE’S NOT
ENDORSING HIM.
ENDORSING HIM. HE WAS A VICE PRESIDENT.
THEY SEEMED TO HAVE GOTTEN ALONG
AND WHY PRESIDENT OBAMA IS NOT
ENDORSING HIM IS RATHER A BIG
SECRET.
SECRET. IF YOU KNOW THE ANSWER, PLEASE
LET ME KNOW.
THERE’S SOMETHING GOING ON IN
THAT BRAIN OF HIS.
>> I’LL TELL YOU --
>> THAT BRAIN OF HIS.
>> IT’S SUCH PROJECTION.
>> AS LONG AS DONALD TRUMP --
>> ALL I HAVE --
>> CONFESSION.
>> CONFESSION. >> KEEPS TALKING.
>> SO BIGGER POINT IS WHEN
DEMOCRATS SEE THAT, THEY’RE
THINKING OH, DONALD TRUMP’S
SCARED OF JOE BIDEN.
AND IT’S JUST LIKE WITH
ELIZABETH WARREN BEFORE.
I THINK ELIZABETH WARREN’S DOING
WELL NOW BECAUSE SHE TOOK A HIT
FROM DONALD TRUMP AND SHE
SURVIVED THAT HIT.
AND SHE KEEPS GOING UP.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> NOW WHEN PEOPLE GO BACK TO
IT, THAT FEELS LIKE THAT GROUND
HAS ALREADY BEEN WALKED OVER AND
HASHED AND REHASHED AND THEN
WITH JOE BIDEN DONALD TRUMP IS
DOING HIM SUCH A FAVOR BECAUSE
WHEN DONALD TRUMP IS MAKING
CRAZY COMMENTS ABOUT JOE BIDEN,
NO ONE IS NOTICING THAT JOE
BIDEN ISN’T ACTUALLY TALKING TO
THE PRESS AND GIVING INTERVIEWS.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> AND IS LETTING ACTUALLY HIS
BAD COMMENTS OVERTAKE THE NEWS
CYCLE WHEN WHY DOESN’T HE JUST
GET OUT AND SAY NEW THINGS AND
START A NEW DIALOGUE.
>> WELL, CLEARLY THE SUBTEXT
FROM DONALD TRUMP IS THAT JOE
BIDEN IS OLD.
HE’S PLAYING ON A SEED OF DOUBT.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO
TURNED 73 YEARS OLD.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> NO SPRING CHICKEN.
>> JUST 73?
>> EVERYBODY THAT RUNNING
AMERICA IS IN THEIR 70s.
DONALD TRUMP, MITCH McCONNELL.
HE’S 79.
HE’S 79. BERNIE, 78.
BERNIE, 78. >> ARE YOU SURE THAT TRUMP IS
73?
73? I THOUGHT HE WAS OLDER.
>> JUST HAD A BIRTHDAY.
>> 73.
>> 73. HIS OLD DOCTOR SAID HE WAS 46.
>> I DON’T KNOW.
>> THINK ABOUT THIS THOUGH.
THIS IS CRAZY.
WE’VE GOT A GUY DONALD TRUMP --
I’M WORKING HERE.
IT’S NOT EASY.
I’M TIRED.
I’M TIRED. 73.
73. AND THEN MITCH McCONNELL I THINK
HE’S 79.
HE’S 79. 77.
77. >> A LITTLE LESS, I THINK.
>> PELOSI, 79.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. ONLY GETTING BETTER.
>> JOE BIDEN, 76.
CLYBURN, 78.
CLYBURN, 78. ALL IN THEIR 70s.
>> BUT CHUCK SCHUMER IS A KID.
ONLY LIKE 68 OR 69.
>> -- STANDING NEXT TO JOE BIDEN
AT 73 YEARS OLD.
>> IF YOU CAN’T FIGURE OUT JUST
JUST --
JUST -- >> I DON’T KNOW.
>> HOW LONG THEY HAVE BEEN
ALIVE, JUST ABOUT EVERY ONE OF
THEM IF NOT NOT MISTAKEN I
FIGURED THIS OUT ONE NIGHT, THEY
COULD HAVE GONE TO HIGH SCHOOL
WITH BUDDY HOLLY.
>> THINK ABOUT THAT.
THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO.
>> GENE ROBINSON, WE CAN GO TO
AGE IF YOU WANT TO.
BUT MAYBE SOMEWHERE ELSE WOULD
BE BETTER.
BE BETTER. IF YOU LOOK --
IF YOU LOOK AT THE POLLS, JOE
BIDEN’S NUMBERS AND THE FIELD’S
NUMBERS SEEMED TO HAVE HARDENED
IN PLACE DESPITE THE WEEK THAT
JOE BIDEN HAD.
I’M CURIOUS FOR YOUR TAKE AS A
SOUTH CAROLINIAN IN THE EARLY
STATES AND IN THE POLL MORNING
CONSULT, JOE BIDEN’S SUPPORT
AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTERS
ARES HASN’T CHANGED EITHER.
HE GOT THE SUPPORT OF JOHN
CLYBURN AND JOHN LEWIS AND MANY
OTHERS -- OF THE MEN HE HAD
WORKED WITH IN CONGRESS OVER A
GENERATION OR TWO NOW.
WHAT’S YOUR VIEW OF JOE BIDEN’S
LAST WEEK AND THE WAY HE HANDLED
IT?
IT? >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME
BACK UP FOR A SECOND.
THIS SHOW HAS A SCRIPT?
>> NO.
>> NO. >> A SCRIPT?
>> SOMETIMES.
>> SOMETIMES. >> NO, IT DOESN’T.
>> NOBODY TOLD ME -- THE DECADE
I HAVE BEEN DOING THE SHOW, BUT
ANYWAY, I DIGRESS.
I’M STUNNED.
I’M STUNNED. SO LOOK, AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTERS
ARE AMONG THE MOST SORT OF
PRAGMATIC AND REAL POLITIC
VOTERS THERE ARE.
AND I THINK WHAT’S GOING ON IS
THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL THINK
HE’S THE GUY THAT CAN BEAT
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT
DONALD TRUMP KEEPS ATTACKING
HIM.
HIM. I MEAN, IT’S AN ABSOLUTE GIFT TO
BIDEN AND PEOPLE IN SOUTH
CAROLINA AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN
VOTERS AND OTHER VOTERS THERE
AND AFRICAN AMERICANS ELSEWHERE
KNOW JOE BIDEN.
HE CONTINUES TO BENEFIT FROM HIS
EIGHT-YEAR COLLABORATION WITH
PRESIDENT OBAMA.
PRESIDENT OBAMA. BUT HE’S BEEN AROUND.
AND AS, YOU KNOW, I NOTED IN THE
COLUMN AND OTHERS HAVE NOTED I
DON’T THINK ANYBODY WOULD SAY
THAT JOE BIDEN IS RACIST.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WOULD SAY
THAT JOE BIDEN IS, YOU KNOW, 76
YEARS OLD OR WHATEVER.
AND THAT THE REFERENCE TO THE
SEGREGATIONIST SENATORS WAS MORE
THAN UNFORTUNATE.
THAN UNFORTUNATE. I MEAN, HE COULD HAVE PICKED A
BUNCH OF CONSERVATIVE
REPUBLICANS TO TALK ABOUT HOW HE
WORKED WITH THEM AND GOT ALONG.
DON’T GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO
JAMES EASTLAND AND HERMAN TALL
IMAGE.
IMAGE. BUT I THINK HE’S OVER IT WITH
THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSTITUENCY
ESPECIALLY OLDER VOTERS.
NOW, IF THERE’S ANY REACTION IT