THE PANDEMIC? SANDERS’ CAMPAIGN UNDENIABLY HAD
A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY AS A WHOLE AND JOINING ME
NOW TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND FIRST
TV NEWS INTERVIEW SINCE ENDING
HIS CAMPAIGN IS SENATOR BERNIE
SANDERS.
SANDERS. SENATOR, FIRST, I THOUGHT MAYBE
YOU COULD TAKE US THROUGH YOUR
THINKING HERE WHAT YOUR
CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF WERE,
WHAT THEY WERE WITH THE BIDEN
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. THERE WAS REPORTING YOU TALKED
TO FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
ABOUT HOW AND WHY YOU CAME TO
THE DECISION YOU DID.
>> LOOK, THERE WERE TWO TRENDS
OF THOUGHT AMONG MY KEY
SUPPORTERS.
SUPPORTERS. NUMBER ONE, BERNIE, LOOK AT THE
ARRHYTHMIA
ARRHYTHMIA ARRHYTHMIA.
ARRHYTHMIA. YOU’RE 300 DELEGATES DOWN.
NO WAY YOU CAN COME UP WITH THE
DELEGATES YOU NEED FOR THE
CONVENTION, GET OUT.
THE OTHER LINE OF THOUGHT IS
LOOK, WE GOT TO KEEP FIGHTING
AND KEEP OUR ISSUES OUT IN THE
FALL.
FALL. WE GOT TO FIGHT FOR MEDICARE FOR
ALL.
ALL. WE GOT TO DEAL WITH CLIMATE
CHANGE.
CHANGE. WE GOT TO MAKE COLLEGE, PUBLIC
COLLEGES AND UNVERMSIVERSEITYIES
TUITION FREE.
TUITION FREE. KEEP THOSE ISSUES IN THE
FOREFRONT.
FOREFRONT. I THINK WHAT FINALLY SHAPED MY
DECISION WAS THE REALITY THAT AS
THE UNITED STATES SENATOR, I
HAVE GOT TO DEAL WITH THIS
UNPRESS DNLTCEDENTED CRISIS THAT
COUNTRY IS FACING IN TERMS OF
THE PANDEMIC, IN TERMS OF THE
FACT THAT NOW AT LEAST 17
MILLION PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR
JOBS.
JOBS. SO I WANT TO PLAY AS GOOD A
ROLE, A STRONG A ROLE AS I CAN
IN PROTECTING THE WORKING PEOPLE
OF THIS COUNTRY DURING THE
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE AND DOING
EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE SURE
THAT ALL OF OUR PEOPLE HAVE THE
HEALTH CARE THAT THEY NEED RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE
FACTORS.
FACTORS. >> JUST AS JUST SORT OF CONFIRM
THE REPORTING, HAVE YOU TALKED
TO PRESIDENT OBAMA DURING THIS
PERIOD OF TIME?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> WHAT HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS
BEEN LIKE?
BEEN LIKE? >> WELL, THEY ARE PRIVATE
CONVERSATIONS, CHRIS.
CONVERSATIONS, CHRIS. >> WELL, CAN I ASK ABOUT YOUR
CONVERSATIONS WITH VICE
PRESIDENT BIDEN?
PRESIDENT BIDEN? >> YES.
>> YES. OH.
OH. >> HOW HAVE THOSE BEEN?
>> LOOK, I’LL GIVE YOU A BETTER
ANSWER, MORE DETAILED ANSWER.
LOOK, JOE BIDEN IS A GOOD
POLITICIAN AND HIS PEOPLE ARE
VERY SMART AND THEY UNDERSTAND
THAT IN ORDER TO BEAT SOMEBODY
LIKE TRUMP, THEY’RE GOING TO
HAVE TO GENERATE A LOT OF
EXCITEMENT,ENERGY AND
EXCITEMENT,ENERGY AND REACH OUT TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE
NOT BEEN THAT SUPPORTIVE OF THE
VICE PRESIDENT.
VICE PRESIDENT. AND THAT MEANS A LOT OF YOUNGER
PEOPLE, A LOT OF LOWER INCOME
PEOPLE AND I THINK WHAT YOU HAVE
BEGUN TO SEE AND WILL CONTINUE
TO SEE IS THAT THE VICE
PRESIDENT IS LISTENING TO MANY
OF THE CONCERNS THAT LOW INCOME
PEOPLE AND WORKING PEOPLE AND
YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE AND BEGINNING
TO MOVE IN THEIR DIRECTION.
HE IS NOW ON BOARD IN MAKING
PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
TUITION FREE FOR FOLKS UNDER
UNDERSTANDUNDER
UNDERSTANDUNDER $125,000 A YEAR.
HE’S ON BOARD FOR CANCELLING
STUDENT DEBT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE
BEEN AT PUBLIC COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES AND HBCUs.
I WOULD HAVE GONE, OBVIOUSLY, A
LOT FURTHER BUT THAT IS A
MOVEMENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION,
NOT FAR ENOUGH TO MY MIND BUT IT
IS A MOVEMENT, AN IMPORTANT
MOVEMENT.
MOVEMENT. TODAY HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD
SUPPORT REDUCING THE ELIGIBILITY
AGE FOR MEDICARE FROM 65 DOWN TO
60.
60. AGAIN, A STEP IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
DIRECTION. THERE ARE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE.
OF PEOPLE. 62, 64 YEARS OF AGE WHO
DESPERATELY WANT TO GET INTO
MEDICARE.
MEDICARE. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO IT
AGAIN, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD MOVEP
FOR ALL OF OUR PEOPLE AND THAT
IF THERE’S ANYTHING THIS CRISIS
IS NOW SHOWING US IS THE
WEAKNESS OF THE EMPLOYER-BASED
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM BECAUSE WHEN
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE LOSING
THEIR JOBS.
THEIR JOBS. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> THEY’RE NOT ONLY LOSING THEIR
INCOME, THEY’RE LOSING THEIR
HEALTH CARE, AS WELL.
I THINK WHAT YOU WILL SEE IS THE
VICE PRESIDENT BEGINNING TO MOVE
IN A MORE PROGRESS SIF DIEIVE DI
>> ALL OF THOSE ANNOUNCEMENTS
CAME THE LAST FEW DAYS AND I
THINK THE SUBTEXT OR TEXT OF
THEM IS ABOUT MAKING OVER TOURS
TO FOLKS IN YOUR CAMP.
WANT TO SPENT TO DOWN AN
INTERPRETATION OF EVENTS I’VE
SEEN PEOPLE OFFER AND GET YOUR
RESPONSE TO IT WHICH IS
BASICALLY, I’VE SEEN PEOPLE SAY
BASICALLY, YOU HAVE A PRETTY
GOOD PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH
JOE BIDEN AND THAT PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP IS BETTER THAN THE
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP YOU HAD
WITH HILLARY CLINTON IN 2016 AND
THAT’S A KEY DRIVER FOR YOUR
DECISION MAKING IN 2020 AS
OPPOSED TO 2016 AND WHAT YOU
WOULD SAY TO PEOPLE THAT MAKE
THAT ARGUMENT.
THAT ARGUMENT. >> I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK TO
2016.
2016. YOU KNOW, I’M NOT A GREAT FAN AS
YOU WELL KNOW, CHRIS OF
POLITICAL GOSSIP.
POLITICAL GOSSIP. I’VE KNOWN JOE BIDEN FOR A FEW
YEARS.
YEARS. I GOT TO KNOW HIM IN 2006 AND
WORKED WITH HIM ON A NUMBER OF
ISSUES WHEN HE WAS VICE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. I LIKE JOE.
I RESPECT HIM.
I THINK HE’S A VERY DESCENT AND
HONEST GUY.
HONEST GUY. AND I THINK WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
BUT I THINK THE TRICK HERE IS
FOR HIM TO DEVELOP AN AGENDA
THAT WILL RESPOND TO THE
UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS THAT WE ARE
IN RIGHT NOW I THINK WITH 17
MILLION PEOPLE LOSING THEIR JOBS
IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS AND BY
THE WAY, THE NUMBER IS MUCH
GREATER THAN THAT.
PEOPLE LOSING THEIR HEALTH CARE.
PEOPLE UNABLE TO PAY THEIR RENT,
PEOPLE WANT BOLD IDEAS.
THEY WANT A GOVERNMENT THAT IS
PREPARED TO STAND UP FOR WORKING
PEOPLE IN A WAY WE HAVE NOT SEEN
FOR A LONG TIME.
>> YOU KNOW, YOU SAY BOLD IDEAS
AND I’VE BEEN THINKING A LOT
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. I WAS JUST HAVING A CONVERSATION
IN THE LAST BLOCK OF THE PROGRAM
ABOUT IT COVERING VERY CLOSELY
THIS CAMPAIGN, YOU KNOW,
THROUGHOUT MY POLITICAL LIFE,
THERE ARE MOMENTS WHERE THE
RULES HOW DO YOU PAY FOR IT GET
SUSPENDED LIKE THE IRAQ WAR AND
MULTI TRILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT
IN AFTERGHANISTAN AND HOW DO YOU
PAY FOR IT GETS WELDED AND I
WONDER AS YOU ARE WATCHING THIS
EXTRAORDINARY PERIOD WE WOULD
AGREE AND MOST WOULD AGREE, THE
GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO TAKE
EXTRAORDINARY ACTION TO SPEND
MONEY BUT WHAT YOU MAKE OF THIS
MOMENT I DEE LOGICOF SEEING REPU
WANT TO SHOVE MORE AND MORE
MONEY OUT THE DOOR.
>> DONALD TRUMP IS THE GUY WHO
HAS ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA.
I JUST HEARD, I DON’T KNOW, WITH
TRUMP YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS
TRUE OR REAL BUT HE SAID HE WANT
THE TO WAIVE STUDENT DEBT FOR
THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
YOU’RE HEARING IT FIRST HERE.
HE MAY NOT CALL IT MEDICARE FOR
ALL, I WOULD NOT DROP DEAD IF IN
ONE FORM OR ANOTHER DONALD TRUMP
GOT UP AND SAID YOU KNOW, WE’RE
IN A TERRIBLE CRISIS, PEOPLE
CAN’T AFFORD HEALTH CARE BILLS,
I THINK WE SHOULD GUARANTEE
HEALTH CARE TO ALL PEOPLE.
HE DOESN’T HAVE IDEOLOGY.
HIS GOAL IS TO WIN, TO ENRICH
HIS FRIENDS.
HIS FRIENDS. HE WILL SAY AND DO ANYTHING TO
DO THAT.
DO THAT. I THINK WHAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE
GOT TO DO IS NOT COME UP WITH
83-POINT PROGRAMS, WHICH THEY
OFTEN DO BUT BE SIMPLE,
STRAIGHTFORWARD AND REPRESENT
WORKING FAMILIES OF THIS COUNTRY
AND LET THE PEOPLE KNOW WHICH
SIDE THEY ARE ON.
>> THE FINAL QUESTION FOR YOU IS
ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW,
THERE ARE SORT OF THESE
COMPETING METRICS I THINK PEOPLE
USE TO EVALUATE CANDIDATES,
COMPREHEND OR HOW GOOD AN
ADMINISTRATOR AND WATCHING TRUMP
UP CLOSE WITH THE STAKES OF THE
MACKMENT
MACKMENT MANAGEMENT OF THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT, PEOPLE ARE SEEING
THAT IN THE HIGHEST RELIEF IN
AWHILE AND WHETHER YOU FEEL THE
SAME WAY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
THE ENTERPRISE WHO IS RUNNING
THE AMERICAN STATE AND THE
STAKES OF THAT AS WE WATCH THIS
PANDEMIC UNFOLD.
PANDEMIC UNFOLD. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THE INCOMPETENCE IS FRIGHTENING.
THIS IS A PRESIDENT IN THE MIDST
OF A HEALTH CARE CRISIS GETS UP
AND SAYS ANYTHING THAT COMES TO
HIS MIND WHETHER IT HAS ANY
SCIENTIFIC BASIS OR NOT.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WILL HAVE
DIED BECAUSE HE DELAYED AND
MINIMIZED THE CRISIS THAT WE
WERE FACING, DOWNPLAYED IT.
SO THE INCOMPETENCE IS TO MY
MIND EXTRAORDINARY AND I THINK
WHAT WE HAVE GOT TO DO IN THE
CONGRESS RIGHT NOW IS BE
ABSOLUTELY AS CLEAR AS WE CAN
BE, THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT
HAS GOT TO BE USED IN A VIGOROUS
WAY.
WAY. WE HAVE GOT TO PROVIDE HEALTH
CARE TO ALL OF OUR PEOPLE DURING
THIS CRISIS.
THIS CRISIS. I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE THAT WHAT
THE BEST APPROACH ECONOMICALLY
IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY
CONTINUES TO HAVE THEIR
PAYCHECK, CONTINUE PAYCHECKS AND
SUBSIDIZE EMPLOYERS IN THAT
RESPECT.
RESPECT. THAT’S THE CLEANEST, EASIEST WAY
TO PROTECT WORKING PEOPLE IN H
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. BUT WE NEED BOLD IDEAS NOW, NOT
87-POINT PROGRAMS.
87-POINT PROGRAMS. >> SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS, IF I
CAN EDITORIALIZE FOR ONE MOMENT,
I SAW HOW YOUR CAMPAIGN WILL PAY
THE HEALTH CARE FOR THE
EMPLOYEES OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR
THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AND I WANT