SITTING BEHIND HIM, SHOWING
THEIR RESPECT FOR HIM AND KAMALA
AND FOR THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
>> A WEEK AND A HALF AGO YOU
WERE INSIDE THE CAPITOL WHEN
DOMESTIC TERRORISTS WERE
THREATENING YOUR LIFE.
YES, TODAY THE CITY IS
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
WE’VE GOT 25,000 TROOPS HERE.
BUT FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE,
KNOWING THE WILL OF THAT FACTION
OF OUR POPULATION, HOW DO YOU
FEEL TODAY FROM A SAFETY
PERSPECTIVE AND HOW ARE YOU
GOING TO FEEL IN A WEEK OR TWO
FROM NOW WHEN ALL THESE NATIONAL
GUARDSMEN AND WOMEN GO HOME?
>> THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION,
STEPHANIE.
FIRST OF ALL, LET’S GO TO
JANUARY 6th.
WE KNOW THAT HUGE ERRORS WERE
MADE WITH PLANNING AND
PREPARING.
THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY
SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS
INAUGURATION HAS BEEN ALWAYS
HANDLED DIFFERENTLY.
IT’S A NATIONAL SECURITY EVENT.
IT’S PLANNED BY THE SECRET
SERVICE, AND NOT SOLELY IN THE
PURVIEW OF THE CAPITOL AND SO IT
IS A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF
EVENT.
FOR YEARS IN INAUGURATIONS IN
THE PAST, INCLUDING BARACK
OBAMA’S, THERE WAS A BIG
MILITARY PRESENCE.
AS FAR AS THE CAPITOL THERE HAS
TO BE CHANGES, PERHAPS TO THE
PERIMETER, CERTAINLY TO HOW
THINGS ARE HANDLED AND PLANS ARE
MADE FOR MAJOR EVENTS.
AND SO THERE’S GOING TO BE A NEW
POLICE CHIEF.
THERE’S GOING TO BE A NEW
SERGEANT AT ARMS IN BOTH HOUSES.
SO THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN BUT
IT STILL SHOULDN’T TAKE AWAY
FROM THE BRAVERY OF MANY OF
THOSE OFFICERS THAT DAY THAT
BASICALLY, INCLUDING ONE OF THEM
THAT GAVE HIS LIFE, ANOTHER THAT
SADLY TOOK HIS OWN LIFE, LOST
HIS LIFE TO SUICIDE, THE WORK
THAT THEY DID THAT DAY TO
PROTECT THE MEMBERS.
AND SO I’M NOT -- I WASN’T
SCARED MYSELF.
FOR ME IT JUST SHOWS THE
FRAGILITY OF OUR DEMOCRACY AND I
THINK IT WAS SCARY FOR A LOT OF
PEOPLE AT HOME TO BE JOLTED INTO
REALIZING HOW WE MUST DO
EVERYTHING TO SAFEGUARD THIS
DEMOCRACY, ESPECIALLY FROM A
PRESIDENT THAT SET A MOB DOWN
THE MALL TO INVADE THE CAPITOL.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR MESSAGE
TO AMERICA ON INAUGURATION DAY.
WHEN YOU DELIVER THOSE WELCOME
REMARKS THERE WILL NOT BE THAT
SEA OF AMERICANS STARING BACK
LIKE USUAL.
CAN THIS BE A CELEBRATION OF
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY WITHOUT
AMERICA OUT THERE CELEBRATING
IT?
>> IT MUST BE.
AND BY THE WAY, STEPHANIE, THEY
WILL BE CELEBRATING IT, JUST
LIKE SO MANY OTHER THINGS, SO
MANY MOMENTOUS MOMENTS IN
PEOPLE’S LIVES, WEDDINGS.
UNFORTUNATELY FUNERALS.
EVERYTHING HAS HAD TO BE DONE
DIFFERENTLY AND I THINK PEOPLE
WILL BE PART OF IT.
THEY’LL FEEL A PART OF IT.
MY GUESS IS YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE
MORE PEOPLE WATCHING THIS
INAUGURATION THAN EVER BEFORE.
AND THEY KNOW NOW, IF THEY
DIDN’T BEFORE, WHAT THIS MOMENT
MEANS, THAT TRANSFER OF POWER,
12:01 P.M. ON JANUARY 20th.
SO AS I LOOK OVER THAT MALL IT’S
GOING TO BE, I HOPE, A BEAUTIFUL
DAY, IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO RAIN
OR SNOW, NUMBER ONE GOOD THING.
NUMBER TWO, AS I LOOK DOWN THAT
MALL I’M GOING TO IMAGINE THE
PEOPLE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN
THERE IF NOT FOR THIS PANDEMIC,
IF IT HAD BEEN HANDLED
DIFFERENTLY, YES.
BUT I THINK IT’S ALSO GOING TO
GIVE A CERTAIN DIGNITY AND
SOMBER FEELING TO THIS CEREMONY
THAT, AGAIN, WILL CREATE ONE
FOCUS, AND THAT IS JOE BIDEN’S
WORDS, THAT IS HAVING THE FIRST
WOMAN VICE PRESIDENT IN THE
HISTORY OF AMERICA, FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN VICE PRESIDENT,
FIRST ASIAN-AMERICAN VICE
PRESIDENT.
THE FACT THAT VICE PRESIDENT
PENCE IS GOING TO BE THERE, THAT
YOU’RE GOING TO SEE GEORGE BUSH
THERE.
THERE ARE LEADERS IN THIS
COUNTRY THAT BELIEVE IN THE
PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER, AND
THAT IS THE MOMENT YOU’RE GOING
TO SEE.
IT’S BEEN GOING ON IN OUR
DEMOCRACY FOR OVER 230 YEARS
SINCE THE FIRST INAUGURATION.
AND IT WAS GEORGE WASHINGTON WHO
ONCE SAID, YOU KNOW, HE POSED A
QUESTION, WHAT’S THE MOST
IMPORTANT FOR OUR DEMOCRACY?
AND HE ANSWERED IT HIMSELF, HE
SAID IT WASN’T THE ELECTION OF
THE FIRST PRESIDENT, IT WAS THE
ELECTION OF THE SECOND.
BECAUSE OURS IS A COUNTRY THAT
BELIEVES IN A PEACEFUL TRANSFER
OF POWER.
AND BELIEVES THAT THE WILL OF