CORONAVIRUS.
INSTEAD OPTING TO ACCEPT THE
PARTY’S NOMINATION VIRTUALLY
FROM DELAWARE.
JOINING ME NOW IS THE CHAIR OF
THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL
COMMITTEE TOM PEREZ.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR COMING ON THE
PROGRAM.
>> GREAT TO BE BACK WITH YOU.
>> SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
HOW AND WHEN THIS DECISION WAS
MADE AND HOW YOU THINK IT COULD
IMPACT THE ABILITY TO GET OUT
THE MESSAGE OF WHAT IS THE
TRADITIONAL KICKOFF TO A
CAMPAIGN AND OBVIOUSLY ONE WHERE
YOU WANT TO GET A BUMP.
>> SURE.
FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS
PANDEMIC OUR NORTH STAR HAS
ALWAYS BEEN PUBLIC HEALTH AND
SAFETY.
THAT WAS CLEAR FROM THE OUTSET.
AND WE HAVE ALWAYS MADE SURE
THAT WE LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS.
BECAUSE OUR CONVENTION ISN’T
ABOUT THE EGO OF A NOMINEE, IT’S
ABOUT TELLING OUR VISION AND
VALUES TO THE NATION.
AND THE SITUATION, QUITE
FRANKLY, IN WISCONSIN AND IN
MANY OTHER PLACES HAS BEEN
WORSENING.
AND SO BASED ON THE CONSULTATION
WITH PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS AND,
AGAIN, THIS IS OUR NORTH STAR,
WE MADE A JUDGMENT THAT OUT OF
TOWN SPEAKERS SHOULD NOT BE
TRAVELING TO MILWAUKEE.
NOW WE’RE STILL GOING TO HAVE A
VERY ROBUST -- IN THE SECOND
PART OF YOUR QUESTION, HOW DOES
THIS AFFECT OUR ABILITY TO GET
OUR MESSAGE OUT.
I DON’T THINK IT AFFECTS US IN
ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
WE’LL HAVE A CONVENTION THAT
HIGHLIGHTS THE GREAT CITY OF
MILWAUKEE AND IT ROOTED ACROSS
AMERICA.
WE HAVE A GREAT PRODUCTION TEAM.
THE VICE PRESIDENT WILL SPEAK
FROM DELAWARE THURSDAY NIGHT AND
ACCEPT THE NOMINATION.
AND I AM EXCITED ABOUT
HIGHLIGHTING OUR VALUES AND,
FRANKLY, THE DIFFERENCES.
THE DITCHESES SDIFFERENCES ARE N
DAY BETWEEN JOE BIDEN AND DONALD
TRUMP WHO IS ALL ABOUT HIS OWN
EGO.
>> WOULD YOU SAY, THOUGH,
REALISTICALLY WHAT WE USED TO
KNOW ABOUT CONVENTIONS IS OFF
THE TABLE?
WE DON’T KNOW HOW PEOPLE WILL
REACT TO A VIRTUAL CONVENTION.
WOULD YOU SAY YOU DON’T KNOW
WHETHER OR NOT TO EXPECT A BUMP?
>> WELL, WHAT I KNOW WE HAVE A
LOT IN STORE THAT’S GOING TO BE
VERY EXCITING.
WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO THOUGH ABOUT
A CONVENTION, CONVENTIONS -- THE
99.9% OF PEOPLE SEE CONVENTIONS
FROM TELEVISION.
IT’S GREAT TO BE IN THE TOWN.
I’VE BEEN TO A NUMBER OF
CONVENTIONS.
THAT’S REALLY EXCITING.
CONVENTIONS ARE TELEVISION
PRODUCTIONS AND WE’RE GOING TO
HAVE A GREAT SHOW FOUR NIGHTS IN
A ROW HIGHLIGHTING WHO WE ARE AS
A NATION.
WE’RE MAKING HISTORY.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE THE FIRST
FEMALE VICE PRESIDENT IN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
I THINK THAT’S REALLY EXCITING,
AND THAT REFLECTS THE BOLDNESS
OF THE VICE PRESIDENT.
AND OUR PARTY PLATFORM IS A BOLD
VISION OF INCLUSION.
I THINK -- I’VE SAID TO OUR TEAM
MANY TIMES NECESSITY IS OFTEN
THE INGENUITY AND INNOVATION.
WE HAVE A HISTORIC PANDEMIC
HERE, AND WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM.
WE ARE INNOVATING.
I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO SEE A REMARKABLE
PRODUCTION THAT IS GOING TO
HIGHLIGHT WHO WE ARE AS A PARTY
AND HOW WE’RE GOING TO BUILD
BACK BETTER THIS NATION AND
UNITE THIS NATION UNDER A PERSON
WHO HAS BEEN UNITING THE NATION
HIS ENTIRE CAREER.
>> AND OBVIOUSLY WHATEVER
CHALLENGES JOE BIDEN FACED, SO
DOES DONALD TRUMP.
THE PRESIDENT CLEARLY WANTS TO
MAKE SURE HE HAS A MADE-FOR-TV
BACKDROP.
I’M SURE YOU HEARD HIM TALKING
ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE
POTENTIALLY AS A PLACE FOR HIS
ACCEPTANCE SPEECH OR ONE OF THE
MONUMENTS EVEN.
LET ME PLAY FOR YOU WHAT HE
SAID.
>> THERE ARE REPORTS THAT YOU’RE
CONSIDERING POSSIBLY GIVING YOUR
CONVENTION ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN.
>> WE’RE THINKING ABOUT DOING IT
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE BECAUSE
THERE’S NO MOVEMENT.
IT’S EASY AND I THINK IT’S A
BEAUTIFUL SETTING AND WE ARE
THINKING ABOUT THAT.
IT’S CERTAINLY ONE OF THE
ALTERNATIVES.
>> HE ALSO SAID IT WOULD BE
EASIER, LESS EXPENSIVE.
WHAT’S YOUR REACTION?
>> WELL, IT’S ETHICALLY
BREATHTAKING TO HEAR THE
PRESIDENT SAY THAT I’M GOING TO
GIVE A POLITICAL SPEECH FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE.
THAT IS -- THAT WOULD BE A
NONSTARTER FOR ANY DEMOCRAT
RUNNING.
THAT IS SO UNETHICAL.
BUT THERE’S NO SURPRISE THERE.
HE ALSO SAID TODAY IT’S
VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR KIDS TO
SPREAD THE CORONAVIRUS THIS IS A
PRESIDENT WHO HAS BEEN RECKLESS
WITH THE FACTS, RECKLESS WITH
THE SCIENCE, RECKLESS WITH THE
ETHICS, RECKLESS WITH THE TRUTH.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE JUST SICK
OF.
I THINK WHEREVER JOE BIDEN IS IN
DELAWARE GIVING HIS ACCEPTANCE
SPEECH, OUR PARTY, THE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM AND US,
I AM SO EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT
THOSE DIFFERENCES.
AND I DO THINK WE’RE GOING TO
COME OUT OF OUR CONVENTION WITH
A REMARKABLE LEVEL OF
EXCITEMENT.
AND WE’VE BEEN PREPARING FOR
THIS.
UNLIKE THE OTHER SIDE, THEY’RE
JUST GOING ONE PLACE TO THE
OTHER.
WE’VE BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS
EVENTUALITY NOW FOR MONTHS