>> SEEING THE PARENTS OVER
THERE, COMING UP, BREAKING DOWN,
IT WAS A LOT.
YOU DON’T THINK THIS HAPPENS IN
YOUR AREA.
I FEEL SO BADLY FOR THOSE PEOPLE
THAT WERE INJURED.
I JUST REALLY HOPE THAT I’M
THANKFUL THAT THE SITUATION IS
UNDER CONTROL.
IT’S A HEART BREAKING SITUATION.
>> Martha: JUST SOME REACTION
FROM THIS AREA IN NASHVILLE
OUTSIDE OF NASHVILLE, SUBURBAN
AREA.
BEAUTIFUL PLACE WHERE PEOPLE
RAISE THEIR FAMILIES AND GO TO
THE COVENANT CHURCH WHERE THIS
CHURCH SHOOTING HAPPENED EARLIER
TODAY.
THE SHOOTER, THEY BELIEVE WAS A
28-YEAR-OLD WHITE WOMAN WHO
LIVED IN THE AREA.
WE UNDERSTAND THERE’S ARMORED
VEHICLES NOW DOING INVESTIGATION
AT HER HOME.
SHE’S BELIEVED, ALLEGED TO HAVE
SHOT THREE YOUNG CHILDREN.
THIS SCHOOLS THAT CHILDREN FROM
AGES 3 TO 12 AND 3 ADULTS AT
THIS GRADE SCHOOL JUST OUTSIDE
OF NASHVILLE.
WE EXPECT WE’RE GOING TO GET AN
UPDATE, WAITING FOR A PICTURE OF
THIS SHOOTER SO THAT WE CAN
START TO GET A BETTER SENSE.
THEY BELIEVE SHE ATTENDED THIS
SCHOOL WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER.
WE DON’T KNOW IF SHE HAS MORE
RECENT CONNECTIONS TO THE
SCHOOL.
WE’RE WAITING FOR MORE
INFORMATION ON ALL OF THAT.
WE HEARD EARLIER THE PRESIDENT
WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS
STORY, ABOUT THIS BREAKING NEWS
TODAY.
WHEN HE CAME OUT TO SPEAK AND WE
CUT AWAY TO IT BECAUSE WE WERE
WAITING TO HEAR WHAT THE
PRESIDENT WOULD SAY ABOUT IT, IT
WAS A SMALL BUSINESS EVENT, BUT
WE WERE TOLD HE WANTED TO
ADDRESS THE HORRIFIC SHOOTING OF
THREE YOUNG CHILDREN AND THREE
ADULTS.
WHEN HE CAME TO THE PODIUM, THIS
IS WHAT HE SAID.
WATCH.
>> MY NAME IS JOE BIDEN.
I’M DR. JILL BIDEN’S HUSBAND.
I LIKE ICE CREAM, CHOCOLATE
CHIP.
I CAME DOWN BECAUSE I HEARD
THERE WAS CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE
CREAM.
BY THE WAY, I HAVE A
REFRIGERATOR FULL UPSTAIRS.
>> Martha: OKAY.
JOINING ME NOW FROM
NEW HAMPSHIRE, THE FORMER
TWO-TERM GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY,
CHRIS CHRISTIE.
GOVERNOR, YOU KNOW, WE ALL
LOOKED AWAY FROM WHAT WE WERE
DOING, TURNED TO WATCH WHAT THE
PRESIDENT WAS GOING TO SAY IN
THIS MOMENT AND IT WAS
DISCONCERTING.
IT WAS VERY STRANGE.
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU
WATCHED THAT?
>> WELL, I MEAN, TO SAY THAT HE
MISUNDERSTOOD THE MOMENT WOULD
BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT IS
WATCHING.
YOU’D HOPE BEFORE HE COMES DOWN
THERE.
THE AWFUL SCENES FROM THE
SHOOTING AND THE REACTIONS OF
FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF
PEOPLE IN THAT SCHOOL.
AND TO BE COMING DOWN, JOKING
ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE’S JILL
BIDEN’S HUSBAND AND LOOKING FOR
CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM IS
HARDLY THE WAY TO START IT.
THERE’S NO WAY TO TALK ABOUT
SOMETHING LIKE THIS EXCEPT TO
SAY THAT FOR ALL OF US THAT ARE
PARENTS, WHAT WE DREAD EVERY DAY
IS THE NEWS ABOUT THE HEALTH AND
LIFE OF OUR CHILDREN.
SO THERE’S NO ROOM TO JOKE IN
THAT CIRCUMSTANCE AT ALL.
CERTAINLY NOT FROM THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
>> HE DID THEN GET AROUND TO
MENTIONING THIS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT HIS WIFE, THE
FIRST LADY, WAS SPEAKING AT A
DIFFERENT EVENT AND SHE ALSO DID
ADDRESS IT.
THIS IS WHAT HE SAID WHEN HE
TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN
NASHVILLE.
>> THIS SITUATION REPORTEDLY HAD
TWO ASSAULT WEAPONS AND A
PISTOL, TWO AK-47s.
I CALL ON CONGRESS AGAIN TO PASS
MY ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN.
IT’S ABOUT TIME THAT WE BEGIN TO
MAKE SOME MORE PROGRESS.
THERE’S MORE TO LEARN.
I JUST WANT TO SEND MY CONCERN
ABOUT HEARTS OUT TO SO MANY
PARENTS.
>> Martha: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF
THAT PART OF WHAT HE SAID TODAY,
GOVERNOR?
>> WELL, LOOK, IT’S NOT ABOUT
PLAYING POLITICS.
UNFORTUNATELY THE SECOND WORST
THING TO MAKE A JOKE ON A DAY
LIKE TODAY IS TO PLAY POLITICS
WITH IT.
UNFORTUNATELY THAT’S WHAT HE
DID.
HE WENT BACK TO THE OLD
PLAYBOOK.
I WAS A PROSECUTOR FOR SEVEN
YEARS IN NEW JERSEY.
THERE’S NO LACK OF LAWS ON THE
BOOKS TO HELP US DEAL WITH GUN
VIOLENCE.
WE NEED TO ENFORCE THOSE LAWS
STRICTLY.
THEY SHOULD BE.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT SCHOOL
SAFETY.
AND DEALING MUCH MORE
AGGRESSIVELY WITH HAVING PEOPLE
AT SCHOOLS WHO CAN PROTECT THE
CHILDREN AND THE TEACHERS AND
ADMINISTRATORS WHO WERE AT THOSE
SCHOOLS.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE TO
CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE MENTAL
HEALTH PROBLEMS IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE CONTINUE TO STREET THEM AND
STIGMATIZE THEM IN A WAY THAT
MAKES THEM NOT WANT TO COME
FORWARD WHEN THEY HAVE THE
MENTAL ISSUES.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A WELCOMING
CIRCUMSTANCE FOR PEOPLE TO COME
FORWARD AND BE TREATED.
WE DON’T KNOW THE EXACT
CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS WOMAN
TODAY THAT DID THIS, BUT I’M
WILLING TO GUARANTEE YOU, THIS
IS A WOMAN WHO HAS SOME SERIOUS
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND GOES
INTO THAT SCHOOL AND KILLS THREE
YOUNG CHILDREN AND THREE ADULTS
HELPING TO TEACH THOSE CHILDREN.
>> Martha: THERE’S A LOT OF --
THIS ALWAYS PROVOKE AS LOT OF
DISCUSSION.
THERE’S A LOT OF FRUSTRATION
THAT IT DOESN’T GO ANYWHERE.
PEOPLE HAVE VERY DIFFERENT IDEAS
ABOUT WHAT THE SOLUTIONS ARE TO
THIS, GOVERNOR.
I THINK THE ONE THING THAT
EVERYONE CAN AGREE ON AND WE’RE
SEEING IT IN THE LATING POLLS
FROM THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL,"
THERE’S SOMETHING THAT HAS
DRAMATICALLY CHANGED IN THE
COUNTRY, THAT PEOPLE ARE LESS
INTERESTED IN MARRIAGE.
THEY’RE LESS INTERESTED IN
TOLERANCE, LESS INTERESTED IN
FAITH.
YOU ARE CONSIDERING POTENTIALLY
RUNNING AGAIN.
YOU RAN IN 2015 AND 16.
AND THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONS
THAT YEAR UP THERE IN
NEW HAMPSHIRE, TESTING THE
WATERS.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE
PROBLEM THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS
IN THIS COUNTRY OR ALL SIDES OF
THE AISLE AND WHAT YOU THINK
WOULD BEGIN TO DO THAT AT THIS
POINT?
>> WELL, LOOK, MARTHA, ONE OF
THE BIGGEST THINGS WE HAVE A
PROBLEM NOW IS ANGER.
UNCONTROLLABLE ANGER.
LOOK, THERE’S PLENTY OF THINGS.
I’M FROM NEW JERSEY.
THERE’S PLENTY OF THINGS IN OUR
STATE THAT MAKE ME ANGRY.
BUT YOU NEED TO CHANNEL THAT
ANGER IN A WAY THAT IS POSITIVE
AND TRIES TO PRODUCE SOMETHING.
QUITE FRANKLY, THE POLITICAL
WORLD AND THE MEDIA WORLD STOKE
THE ANGER RATHER THAN PUSH US
TOWARDS CONVERSATIONS THAT CAN
BO PRODUCTIVE TO TRY TO SOLVE
SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS.
SOME OF THE ANGER THAT IS SO
PREVALENT RIGHT NOW IN OUR
COUNTRY AND STOKED BY SO MANY
DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF WHAT ARE
SUPPOSED TO BE LEADERSHIP IN OUR
COUNTRY CREATE AND EVEN BIGGER
PROBLEM.
WHAT WE DON’T UNDERSTAND IS THAT
SOME PEOPLE CAN’T CONTROL THAT
ANGER.
ONCE YOU LIGHT THAT FUSE, YOU
CAN’T STOP IT FROM BLOWING.
THAT’S WHAT WE NEED TO BE
WORKING ON THIS.
IS A COUNTRY THAT NEEDS TO
CHANNEL ITS ANGER BACK IN TO
PRODUCTIVE SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS
IN THIS COUNTRY AND NOT JUST
HAVE EVERY DAY PEOPLE IN THE
POLITICAL WORLD AND THE MEDIA
WORLD STOKING THAT ANGER AND
MAKING IT WORSE.
>> Martha: I THINK IT’S A FAIR
ASSESSMENT.
PATRIOTISM IS LISTEN ON THE
STEEP DECLINE THE LAST 20 YEARS.
QUICK THOUGHT ON THAT BEFORE I
LET YOU GO, SIR.
>> LOOK, MARTHA, I THINK IT’S
VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO ONCE
AGAIN FROM THE TIME OUR CHILDREN
ARE YOUNG TO BE TALKING TO THEM
ABOUT THE GREATNESS OF THIS
COUNTRY.
HOW -- WHAT AN AMAZING PLACE IT
IS.
WE HAVEN’T HAD THAT.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT EVERY DAY IN
OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN
PARTICULAR ARE TEARING THIS
COUNTRY DOWN.
IT’S NOT THAT WE DON’T HAVE
PROBLEMS THAT WE NEED TO DO
WITH.
I TALKED ABOUT THAT THERE’S
PLENTY OF PROBLEMS TO DEAL WITH.
THERE’S NO BETTER PLACE IN THE
WORLD TO TRY TO SOLVE THOSE
PROBLEM IN A FREE WAY AND TO
BUILD CONSENSUS THAN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA.
WE NEED TO START TALKING THAT
WAY AGAIN IN A WAY THAT IS
HOPEFUL AND OPTIMISTIC AND HAVE
PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC THAT
CONTINUE TO STOKE ANGER UPON
ANGER AND FEAR UPON FEAR THAT
DOESN’T GET US THERE.
>> Martha: OKAY.
GOVERNOR, THANK YOU.
HOPE YOU COME BACK.
WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT 2024 AND
WHAT YOUR INTENTIONS ARE THERE.