FINISHED A STRONG THIRD. SHE REPRESENTS NEIGHBORING
STATE, SHE’LL BE ON THE DEBATE
STAGE HERE TOMORROW NIGHT, AND
TONIGHT, SENATOR ELIZABETH
WARREN JOINS ME FROM THE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN DAIRY, NEW
HAMPSHIRE, A 20 MINUTE RIDE DOWN
I-93 FROM HERE IN MANCHESTER,
SENATOR, WELCOME.
SENATOR, WELCOME. >> THANK YOU, IT’S GOOD TO BE
HERE.
HERE. >> SO I GUESS I’M GOING TO ASK
YOU A SOMEWHAT LOADED QUESTION
WHICH IS ARE YOU HAPPY TO BE OUT
OF WASHINGTON AND AWAY FROM THE
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL AND ON THE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN NEW HAMPSHIRE?
>> LOOK, THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
WAS MY CONSTITUTIONAL
RESPONSIBILITY.
RESPONSIBILITY. AND I WAS THERE.
I HAD TAKEN AN OATH AND IT WAS
THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
NOW THAT THAT IS FINISHED, I AM
VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE, TO BE WITH VOTERS AND
PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY OFF THE
SIDELINES AND REALIZE THAT THIS
IS ELECTION COMING UP IN
NOVEMBER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN
EVER.
EVER. AND IT IS.
>> THERE’S A NUMBER COMING OUT
OF IOWA THAT I HAVE BEEN KIND OF
OBSESSED WITH, I FEEL LIKE YOU
MIGHT HAVE A BETTER VIEW INTO IT
THAN ANYONE, WHICH IS THE TOTAL
TURNOUT IN THE CAUCUS, TOTAL
TURNOUT IN THE IOWA CAUCUS WAS
ABOUT 2016, THERE WERE A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT THOUGHT IT WOULD BE
HIGHER, AND HIT THE RECORD IN
2008, DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS
ABOUT THE LEVEL OF ACTIVATION,
MOTIVATION AMONG DEMOCRATIC
VOTERS RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, I THINK IT TELLS US
THAT WE NEED TO GET THIS PARTY
ORGANIZED.
ORGANIZED. WE NEED TO GET IT TOGETHER, AND
WE NEED TO GET FOCUSED ON
BEATING DONALD TRUMP.
I THINK THE WAY THAT WE DO THAT
IS THAT WE HAVE A NOMINEE WHO
HAS A VERY CLEAR CONTRAST WITH
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. LOOK, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL ULTIMATELY WAS
ABOUT, IT WAS ABOUT CORRUPTION.
IT WAS ABOUT A GUY WHO SOLD AN
AMBASSADORSHIP FOR A MILLION
DOLLARS.
DOLLARS. IT’S ABOUT A GUY WHO THINKS
GOVERNMENT IS JUST THERE TO MAKE
HIMSELF, AND HIS FAMILY, AND HIS
RICH BUDDIES EVEN RICHER AND
THAT IS A KIND OF CORRUPTION
THAT HAS INFECTED OUR POLITICS
FOR DECADES NOW.
IT’S JUST THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS
TAKEN IT TO A NEW LOWS.
AND THE FACT THAT HE’S DONE
THAT, I THINK, HAS STARTED TO
BRING PEOPLE OFF THE SIDELINES,
STARTED TO BRING PEOPLE INTO
THIS FIGHT WHO WEREN’T IN IT
BEFORE, BUT HERE’S THE THING,
INTO THE FIGHT BECAUSE THEY WANT
A GOVERNMENT THAT DOESN’T JUST
WORK FOR RIP PEOPLE.
DOESN’T WORK FOR GIANT
CORPORATIONS BUT THAT WORKS FOR
THEM, AND I THINK WE’VE GOT A
CHANCE TO DO THAT, TO BRING OUR
PARTY TOGETHER AROUND THAT
MESSAGE, TO DRAW THAT CONTRAST,
AND FRANKLY, TO BRING IN
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AND
INDEPENDENTS ALONG WITH IT AS
WELL.
WELL. YOU KNOW, NOBODY LIKES GETTING
CHEATED.
CHEATED. I DON’T CARE WHAT POLITICAL
PARTY YOU’RE COMING FROM, BUT
THAT’S THE KIND OF AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT THAT WE HAVE RIGHT
NOW, AND THAT’S WHAT WE CAN
CHANGE IN 2020.
SO I’M ALL IN ON THIS FIGHT.
>> THERE’S A STORY IN POLITICO
THAT I SAW YOU RESPONDED TO, AND
I WANT TO GET YOUR RESPONSE ON
AIR, SIX WOMEN OF COLOR THAT
QUIT YOUR NEVADA CAMPAIGN WITH
COMPLAINTS OF A TOXIC WORK
ENVIRONMENT, AND TOE --
TOKENISM, I SAW YOU RESPONDED TO
THAT AND APOLOGIZED.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY IN
RESPONSE TO LEARNING ABOUT THAT?
>> YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THESE
WOMEN WITHOUT ANY EQUIVOCATION
AND I APOLOGIZE PERSONALLY THAT
THEY HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE ON THE
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. I REALLY WORK HARD TO TRY TO
BUILD A CAMPAIGN AND A WORK
ENVIRONMENT WHERE IT’S DIVERSE
AND OPEN AND EVERYONE IS WELCOME
AND CELEBRATED AND GETS TO BRING
THEIR WHOLE SELF TO WORK EVERY
DAY.
DAY. BUT I’M ALSO VERY AWARE THAT
RACISM AND OPPRESSION IN THIS
COUNTRY HAVE LEFT A LONG LEGACY.
AND IT CREATES THE KIND OF
TOXICITY WHERE PEOPLE, POWER
STRUCTURES, PEOPLE TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF OTHER PEOPLE.
IT’S SOMETHING FOR WHICH WE HAVE
TO BE CONSTANTLY VIGILANT, AND
CONSTANTLY DETERMINED TO DO
BETTER.
BETTER. I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS,
AND I’M WORKING WITH MY TEAM TO
ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS.
>> I ALSO WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT
A NEW ENTRANT INTO THE RACE, NOT
THAT NEW, YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT HIM A LOT, BUT POLLING
INDICATES THAT MICHAEL BLOOMBERG
WHO SPENT OVER A 150 MILLION,
GOING TO SPEND HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS MORE, WORTH BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS, HAS NOW BEEN MOVING UP
IN NATIONAL POLLING.
HE’S DROPPING A LOT OF MONEY ON
SUPER TUESDAY, HE IS GOING TO BE
ON THE DEBATE STAGE IN NEVADA,
NOT THIS NEXT DEBATE TOMORROW
NIGHT BUT IN NEVADA BECAUSE THE
DNC ESSENTIALLY CHANGED ITS
RULES TO PUT HIM ON THE STAGE.
SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY HAD TO DO
THAT BECAUSE OTHERWISE HE’S
SPENDING MONEY ON ADVERTISING
AND NO ONE CAN TALK TO HIM TO
HIS FACE, OTHERS SAY IT’S NOT
FAIR.
FAIR. WHERE DO YOU COME DOWN ON THAT?
>> LOOK, THIS IS FUNDAMENTALLY
THE PROBLEM WE’VE GOT IN OUR
DEMOCRACY RIGHT NOW.
WE’RE WATCHING IT PLAY OUT IN
THIS DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
IF WE ARE GOING TO BE A PARTY,
IF WE’RE GOING TO BE A COUNTRY,
WHERE THE ONLY WAY YOU GET TO BE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
IS YOU EITHER HAVE TO START OUT
AS A BILLIONAIRE OR YOU HAVE TO
SPEND, YOU KNOW, 70% OF YOUR
TIME SUCKING UP TO BILLIONAIRES
AND CORPORATE EXECUTIVES AND
LOBBYISTS, THEN BUCKLE UP
BECAUSE WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A
COUNTRY THAT WORKS EVEN BETTER
FOR BILLIONAIRES AND FOR
CORPORATE EXECUTIVES.
CORPORATE EXECUTIVES. YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHY I MADE THE
DECISION, WHEN I FIRST DECIDED
TO GO FOR -- RUN FOR PRESIDENT,
THAT I WAS GOING TO FUND THIS
THROUGH GRASS ROOTS, THAT I WAS
NOT GOING TO SPEND ALL OF MY
TIME SUCKING UP TO THOSE FOLKS
AND WORRYING ABOUT ISSUES THAT
MATTERED MOST TO THEM, THAT I
WAS GOING TO SPEND MY TIME ON
THE GROUND.
THE GROUND. I WAS GOING TO SPEND MY TIME
WITH PEOPLE FIGHTING FOR A
GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS FOR THEM.
AND IF YOU THINK THAT’S THE
RIGHT WAY FOR OUR DEMOCRACY TO
WORK, THEN I ASK EVERYBODY, GO
TO ELIZABETH WARREN.COM, PITCH
IN FIVE BUCKS, VOLUNTEER TO MAKE
PHONE CALLS.
PHONE CALLS. DO SOME DOOR KNOCKING, BUT THIS
IS THE THING PEOPLE HAVE TO GET
IN THIS FIGHT, IT’S ABOUT THE
ISSUES.
ISSUES. >> WAIT, WAIT, I WANT AN ANSWER
TO THE QUESTION.
BUT I DO WANT AN ANSWER TO THE
QUESTION RESPECTFULLY.
QUESTION RESPECTFULLY. >> AND HERE’S MY ANSWER TO THE
QUESTION -- NO, HERE’S MY ANSWER
TO THE QUESTION.
>> SHOULD HE BE ON THE DEBATE
STAGE?
STAGE? >> I DON’T THINK THAT
BILLIONAIRES OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO
BUY THEIR WAY ON TO THE DEBATE
STAGE.
STAGE. I DON’T THINK THEY OUGHT TO BE
ABLE TO BUY THEIR WAY TO A
NOMINATION, WHETHER THEY’RE
DOING IT BY REACHING IN THEIR
OWN POCKETS OR WHETHER THEY’RE
DOING IT BY FUNDING DARK MONEY
PACS TO HELP COMESOME CANDIDATES
WHETHER THEY’RE DOING IT BY
BUNDLING CHECKS AMONG THEIR RICH
FRIENDS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE
DONATIONS TO DEMOCRATIC
CANDIDATES.
CANDIDATES. I THINK THE WAY WE OUGHT TO FUND
OUR CAMPAIGNS AND WHAT WE OUGHT
TO BE TESTING OUT AMONG
DEMOCRATS IS WHO CAN ACTUALLY
BUILD A GRASS ROOTS CAMPAIGN
BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT’S
FUNDAMENTALLY BROKEN IN OUR
DEMOCRACY.
DEMOCRACY. WHY DO YOU THINK WE CAN’T GET A
VOTE ON GUNS IN THE SENATE RIGHT
NOW?
NOW? WHY DO YOU THINK WE CAN’T GET A
VOTE ON REDUCING THE PRICES ON
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS?
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS? WHY DO YOU THINK THOSE THINGS
HAPPEN?
HAPPEN? BECAUSE THOSE INDUSTRIES
CONTINUE TO CONTROL OUR
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. AND THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN SO
LONG AS THEY CONTROL OUR
ELECTIONS AS WELL.
2020, THE DOOR HAS OPENED JUST A
LITTLE FOR DEMOCRACY, FOR A
CHANCE TO BUILD A GRASS ROOTS
MOVEMENT, AND WE’RE GOING TO
BUILD IT $5 CONTRIBUTIONS AND
$25 CONTRIBUTIONS AT A TIME.
THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO TAKE OUR
GOVERNMENT BACK.
GOVERNMENT BACK. SO IT’S NOT ABOUT A RISING STOCK
MARKET, BUT ALL OF THE VALUE
GOES TO THOSE AT THE TOP.
IT’S ABOUT A 2 CENT WEALTH TAX
AND INVESTING IN CHILD CARE FOR
ALL OF OUR KIDS, AN EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND
CANCELLING STUDENT LOAN DEBT, IN
EXPANDING SOCIAL SECURITY FOR
THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST.
THIS IS ABOUT WHO AMERICA WORKS
FOR, AND IT STARTS RIGHT HERE
WITH WHETHER WE’RE GOING TO HAVE
CAMPAIGNS THAT BILLIONAIRES
REACH IN THEIR POCKET, AND BUY
THEM.
THEM. OR WE’RE GOING TO HAVE CAMPAIGNS