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>> Chris: JOE BIDEN HAS
LARGELY STAYED OFF THE CAMPAIGN
TRAIL SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF THE
CORONAVIRUS, BUT INSTEAD OF THE
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT’S
LOW-PROFILE HURTING HIM, HE IS
SEEING A GROWING LEAD OVER
PRESIDENT TRUMP IN THE POLLS.
JOINING IS NOW, SYMONE SANDERS,
SENIOR ADVISOR FOR THE BIDEN
CAMPAIGN.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE
RELATIVELY SMALL CROWD AT THE
PRESIDENT’S RALLY LAST NIGHT AND
THE FACT THAT SO MANY OF THE
THOUSANDS WHO WERE THERE WERE
NOT WEARING MASKS?
>> Symone: WELL, THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME THIS MORNING, CHRIS,
AND HAPPY FATHER’S DAY.
LOOK, DONALD TRUMP’S DEBACLE OF
A RALLY LAST NIGHT WILL LONG BE
REMEMBERED, MUST WE NOT FORGET
THE PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN
REQUIRED THAT FOLKS WERE
ATTENDING HIS RALLY SIGN A
WAIVER SO THAT IF I WERE TO GET
SICK THE CORONAVIRUS THAT THE
CAMPAIGN WOULD NOT BE HELD
LIABLE BUT I THINK THE MOST
THING FROM THAT RALLY LAST
NIGHT, CHRIS, WAS IN FACT THE
PRESIDENT’S ADMISSION THAT HE
QUOTE UNQUOTE SAID TO HIS PEOPLE
TO SLOW DOWN THE TESTING.
THIS IS AN APPALLING ATTEMPT TO
LESSEN THE NUMBERS ONLY TO MAKE
THEM LOOK GOOD, AND SO I THINK
THAT’S WHAT WILL BE REMEMBERED
LONG AFTER LAST NIGHT’S DEBACLE
OF A RALLY.
THE ADMISSION OF THE PRESIDENT
THAT HE SLOWED TESTING FOR HIS
POLITICAL BENEFIT AND IT’S NOT
FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> Chris: WELL, LET ME JUST
POINT OUT, THEY SAY THAT IT WAS
A JOKE AND IT DIDN’T SEEM
PARTICULARLY -- LET ME JUST
POINT OUT, THAT’S WHAT THEY
SAID.
I WANT TO PICK UP THOUGH ON THIS
WHOLE QUESTION OF THE PUBLIC
HEALTH OF THESE MASS GATHERINGS,
SYMONE, BECAUSE WHEN THERE WERE
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
MARCHING IN THE STREETS AND
QUITE RIGHTLY IN PROTEST FOR THE
DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD AND THE
ISSUES OF POLICE BRUTALITY,
THERE WERE SO MANY OF THEM --
NOT MAYBE MOST, BUT MANY OF THEM
WERE NOT MARRIED MASKS.
AT THAT TIME THE PRESIDENT
CALLED -- THE VICE PRESIDENT,
JOE BIDEN, CALLED THOSE RALLIES
RIGHT AND NECESSARY WITH NO
MENTION OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
I GUESS THE QUESTION IS WHY THE
DOUBLE STANDARD FOR THE PROTESTS
WERE OKAY, BUT THIS RALLY WAS
DANGEROUS?
>> Symone: CHRIS, THERE IS NO
DOUBLE STANDARD HERE.
PROTESTING IS AN AMERICAN RIGHT.
IF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE THE
RIGHT TO GO OUT AND RAISE THEIR
VOICES.
THE DIFFERENCE HERE IS, CHRIS,
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
WHOSE VICE PRESIDENT, BY THE
WAY, HAS THE WHITE HOUSE
CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE, HOLDING
A RALLY, NOT FOLLOWING THEIR OWN
PRECAUTIONS THAT HAS ON PUBLIC
HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE PUT OUT.
THE PRESIDENT HAS TO LEAVE,
CHRIS, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
DEMONSTRATED SO MANY TIMES IN
EVERY SENSE OF THE WORK THAT HE
IS UNABLE TO DO SO.
AND SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
FOLKS GOING OUT OF PROTESTING
POLICE BRUTALITY AND THE
PRESIDENT PLANNING A RALLY WERE
SIX OF HIS OWN ADVANCED STAFFERS
BEFORE THE RALLY CONTRACTED
COVID-19 IS AS CLEAR AS DAY AND
AGAIN, CHRIS, THIS IS ABOUT
PUBLIC HEALTH.
NO ONE IS SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE
WANT THE ECONOMY TO REOPEN, WE
WANT FOLKS TO GET BACK TO WORK,
MORE THAN 20 MILLION AMERICANS
ARE STILL OUT OF WORK.
ALMOST 120,000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED
DUE TO COVID-19.
THOSE JOBLESS, THOSE DEATHS DID
NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN.
IT WOULD HAVE TO TAKE
PRECAUTIONS, CHRIS, WE HAVE TO
DO WHAT IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO
PROTECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND
MONTHS AGO --
>> Chris: I GUESS WHAT I’M
ASKING THOUGH -- IF I MAY,
SYMONE, I JUST AM ASKING THIS
ONE QUESTION, WHY DID THE
VICE PRESIDENT -- BECAUSE
WHETHER IT WAS INDOORS OR
OUTDOORS, WHATEVER THE REASON
FOR THE GATHERING, THERE WERE
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE
STREETS IN THESE PROTESTS.
WHY DIDN’T VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN
SAY, LOOK, I UNDERSTAND THE
CONCERN, BUT THESE MAY BE
POTENTIAL SUPER-SPREADER’S?
>> Symone: CHRIS, JUST LISTEN
TO YOUR LAST SEGMENT WHERE THE
DOCTOR NOTED THAT THERE IS NO
EVIDENCE THAT THE PROTESTS ARE
WHAT HAVE SPIKED CORONAVIRUS
CASES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, SO I’M
NOT SURE WHAT YOU’RE ASKING HER
WHAT YOU’RE SUGGESTING.
LOOK, VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS
REALLY EXHIBITED LEADERSHIP ON
THIS ISSUE.
WE HAVE BEEN OUT CAMPAIGNING.
I ALSO HEARD YOU SAY WE HAVEN’T
REALLY BEEN ON THE CAMPAIGN
TRAIL.
WITH BEN ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
SINCE MARCH.
WE’VE BEEN CAMPAIGNING VIRTUALLY
WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN GO BACK OUT
INTO THE ACTUAL CAMPAIGN TRAIL
AND OUR EVENTS ARE SAFE, THEY
ARE SOCIALLY DISTANT NUMBER THEY
ADHERE WITH THE CDC GUIDELINES,
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN WEARS A
MASK, PEOPLE PARTICIPATING
WEARING MASKS BECAUSE THIS IS
ABOUT BEING SAFE, CHRIS, THIS IS
ABOUT ENSURING THE SAFETY OF
EVERYONE INVOLVED EMMA
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DEMONSTRATED
YESTERDAY IS THAT HE ACTUALLY IS
NOT CONCERNED WITH THE PUBLIC
HEALTH, HE IS CONCERNED WITH HIS
ABILITY TO HOLD A RALLY.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO NOTE,
THE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT THERE,
THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO GET A
CORONAVIRUS TEST.
>> Chris: YOU BETTER LET ME IN
HERE.
>> Symone: THE FOLKS UP THERE
PROTESTING --
>> Chris: I DON’T WANT TO GET
INTO A FIGHT BUT YOU GOT TO LET
ME ASK THE QUESTION.
SO HERE’S A QUESTION I’M GOING
TO ASK YOU.
JOE BIDEN HAS -- YOU TALK ABOUT
HIM BEING ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
BUT I THINK MOST PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN STRUCK THAT HE HAS BEEN --
HE STAYED IN HIS DELAWARE HOME
MOSTLY AND THEN IN LARGE PARTS
SINCE MARCH HE’S HELD A FEW
SOCIALLY DISTANCED EVENTS, BUT
BY THE LARGE PARTY HAS NOT FOUND
THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AND HE COULD
HAVE FELT CERTAINLY MORE
SOCIALLY DISTANCED EVENTS AND
PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANT, HE IS
NOT HELD NEWS CONFERENCE EITHER
IN PERSON OR ONLINE FOR 80 DAYS,
ALMOST THREE MONTHS.
WHY NOT?
>> Symone: WELL, CHRIS, TO BE
CLEAR, VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN DOES
INTERVIEWS, TEXT QUESTION FROM
THE PRESS REGULARLY AND YES, IN
MARCH, WE HAVE ADJUSTED TO THIS
NEW NORMAL LIKE MOST PEOPLE IN
AMERICA.
WE HAVE BEEN CAMPAIGNING
VIRTUALLY, BUT JUST BECAUSE WE
ARE CAMPAIGNING VIRTUALLY DOES
NOT MEAN WE ARE NOT MEETING
ACTUAL VOTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
COUNTRY.
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS
CAMPAIGNED IN MICHIGAN AND
FLORIDA.
DR. BIDEN HAS CAMPAIGNED IN
COLORADO AND TEXAS.
SO THE REALITY IS, WHAT WE HAVE
BEEN DOING IS FOLLOWING CDC
GUIDELINES.
>> Chris: WHY HASN’T HE HELD A
NEWS CONFERENCE FOR 80 DAYS?
>> Symone: AS MANY OF YOU --
MANY OF Y’ALL IN THE NATIONAL
PRESS AND THE BELTWAY PRESS ARE
WELL AWARE, WE TAKE PRIDE IN
PRIORITIZING LOCAL MEDIA.
SO THE VICE PRESIDENT IS DOING
LOCAL MEDIA INTERVIEWS, HISTORY
NATIONAL MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND HE
IS TAKING QUESTIONS FROM
REPORTERS.
>> Chris: PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS
THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT
BIDEN IS HOLED UP IN HIS
BASEMENT IS BECAUSE HE’S NOT UP
TO CAMPAIGNING.
THERE WAS THE PRESIDENT ON THAT
THIS WEEK.
>> HE IS NOT RUNNING HIS
CAMPAIGN, PEOPLE ARE RUNNING HIS
CAMPAIGN.
I SEE QUOTES ALL THE TIME THAT
HE SAID THIS, HE SAID THAT ABOUT
ME AND THE LONG, BEAUTIFUL
FLOWING SENTENCES I SAID, JOE
DIDN’T MAKE THAT STATEMENT AND
JOE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW THE
STATEMENT WAS MADE.
>> Chris: DOES THE FORMER
VICE PRESIDENT CONTRIBUTE TO THE
PRESIDENT BEING ABLE TO MAKE
THAT ARGUMENT BY BEING OUT OF
PUBLIC VIEW SO OFTEN?
>> Symone: THIS IS JUST
DESPICABLE, CHRIS, IT TRULY IS.
THE FACT THAT FOLKS ARE
PARROTING THIS UNFOUNDED
SALACIOUS LIVE FROM THE
PRESIDENT AND HIS CAMPAIGN, THAT
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN IS IN UP TO
THE CHALLENGE FROM HE’S
ABSOLUTELY UP TO IT.
HE’S ABSOLUTELY UP TO IT.
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL TELL
YOU IF YOU WERE SITTING RIGHT
HERE THAT HE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE
DONALD TRUMP ON THE DEBATE STAGE
THAT HE CAN’T WAIT TO CAMPAIGN
WITH HIM.
I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT FOLKS
CONTINUE TO PARROT THESE LINES
FROM THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN ONE
DONALD TRUMP, WHO STOOD AT THE
WHITE HOUSE PRESS PROGRAM AND
SUGGESTED AMERICANS SHOULD
INGEST BLEACH TO CLEAR
THEMSELVES OF THE CORONAVIRUS.
>> Chris: WE REPORTED ON THAT
TOO, AS YOU KNOW, SYMONE.
I WANT TO PUT UP SOME NEW
FOX POLL’S, WHICH I THINK YOU’RE
GOING TO LIKE.
THE LATEST FOX POLL SHOWS THAT
BIDEN IS BLEEDING
PRESIDENT TRUMP 50% TO 38, BUT
WHEN ASKED WHY THEY BACKED THEIR
CANDIDATE, 31% OF BIDEN
SUPPORTERS SAY IT’S BECAUSE OF
ENTHUSIASM FOR HIM AT 63%
BECAUSE THEY FEAR ESTHER TRUMP
FOR THE PRESIDENT.
IT’S ALMOST EXACTLY THE REVERSE.
A LEAD IS A LEAD, BUT IS THE
LACK OF ENTHUSIASM FOR BIDEN,
EVEN AMONG BIDEN SUPPORTERS,
WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL AN
ENTHUSIASM GAP, IS THAT A
POTENTIAL PROBLEM?
>> Symone: IS NOT.
WE HEARD THIS A LOT THROUGHOUT
THE PRIMARY ABOUT AN ENTHUSIASM
GAP, WHO COULDN’T WHO COULD NOT
TURN OUT VOTERS AND WHAT WE SAW
IN THE PRIMARIES IS THAT
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN IN CONTEST
AFTER CONTEST HANDILY WON BUT
ALSO TURNED OUT VOTERS, IT WAS
UP IN NORTH CAROLINA, AND THE
GEORGIA PRIMARIES THAT JUST
HAPPENED, MORE THAN 1.1 MILLION
VOTERS VOTED EARLY, AND SO WE
ARE VERY CONFIDENT IN OUR
STRATEGY, CHRIS.
WE THINK OUR VOTERS ARE EXCITED
BUT ALSO THINK THESE NUMBERS
SPELL TROUBLE FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
WE THINK THIS IS A REFERENDUM ON
HIS LACK OF LEADERSHIP AND HOW
HIS ACTIONS HAVE DIRECTLY
AFFECTED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> Chris: WE ARE GOING TO HAVE