ADVISOR TO THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN,
AND LYNN PATTON, CLOSE ALLY TO
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN, AND WE BEGAN
WITH SIMONE, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
GOOD TO HEAR YOU THIS EVENING.
WHY DIDN'T JOE BIDEN COME OUT
WITH A STRONG STANCE IN FAVOR OF
IMPEACHMENT WHEN PRIOR TO THAT
HE HAD URGED RESTRAINT TO THIS
ISSUE.
>> THANK YOU, BUSY DAY.
LOOK, I THINK IT'S A FAIR
QUESTION, WHY TODAY AND WHY NOW,
FRANKLY.
I THINK THE ACTS OF THE LAST 15
DAYS ARE WHAT MOVE TO
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN TO THIS
POSITION.
16 DAYS WHERE VICE PRESIDENT
BIDEN WAS IN WILMINGTON,
DELAWARE, GAVE A SPEECH, A
STATEMENT FRANKLY.
SAID IN THIS STATEMENT, IF
DONALD TRUMP AND THE TRUMPED
ADMINISTRATION DID NOT COOPERATE
WITH CONGRESS' INVESTIGATION
AND THAT THEY CONSTITUTIONALLY
HAVE THE RIGHTS TO DO, THEN
THIS'LL BE A TRAGEDY OF
DONALD TRUMP'S OWN MAKING AND
CONGRESS WOULD HAVE NO CHOICE
OTHER THAN TO START THE
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
OVER THE LAST 15 DAYS, MARTHA,
REGARDLESS WHAT SIDE OF THE
AISLE ANYONE SITS ON TO HIM IT
HAS BEEN A REMARKABLE TIME IN
AMERICAN POLITICS AND POLITICAL
HISTORY.
WE HAVE SEEN THE PRESIDENT STAND
ON THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN AND
OPENLY INVITE INTERFERENCE INTO
OUR ELECTION TO HELP HIM
POLITICALLY.
HE ASKED UKRAINE AND CHINA ON
THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN.
WE HAVE SEEN A WHISTLE-BLOWER
COMPLAINT NOW THAT CONFIRMS THAT
DONALD TRUMP'S ALLIES AND FOLKS
OF THE ADMINISTRATION MOVED TO
COVER UP A PHONE CALL THAT WE
ALSO SAW FROM REPORTS, A
TRANSCRIPT OF THE WHITE HOUSE
PUT OUT --
>> Martha: UNDERSTOOD, WE
REPORTED ALL THAT YOU JUST
TALKED ABOUT OVER THE COURSE OF
THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, TO BE
SURE.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S TRAGEDY
IS WHETHER OR NOT HE HAD TO COME
OUT STRONGLY.
THE REAL CLEAR POLITICS AVERAGE
SHOWS HE'S DOWN TWO POINTS, 2.5
POINTS TO ELIZABETH WARREN WHO
HAS FOCUSED ON THIS ISSUE.
IS THAT WHY HE DECIDED HE HAD TO
SPEAK OUT?
>> THAT'S NOT WHY, MARTHA, HE
HAD TO SPEAK OUT.
THERE IS A STORY IN
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" WHICH TALKS
ABOUT JOE BIDEN, AND HIS HISTORY
WHEN IT COMES TO IMPEACHMENT
PROCEEDINGS IN THE UNITED STATES
CONGRESS.
THE IMPEACHMENT OF NIXON AND
CLINTON, VICE PRESIDENT
JOE BIDEN WAS A SENATOR.
IN BOTH OF THOSE INSTANCES, HE
URGED RESTRAINT, URGE THAT THERE
IS A PROCESS, A SYSTEM THAT WE
HAVE TO GATHER THE INFORMATION.
>> Martha: THAT IS WHAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SAYING TOO.
THAT'S WHY HE'D LIKE TO SEE A
VOTE IN THE HOUSE BEFORE THEY
MOVE FORWARD AND A LITTLE BIT OF
CLARIFICATION ON HOW THIS IS
GOING TO WORK BEFORE THEY START
PUTTING ALL THEIR PEOPLE OUT
THERE, WHICH SEEMS LIKE A FAIR
ENOUGH QUESTION.
>> FRANKLY, OUR POSTURE IS THAT
CONGRESS HAS OVERSIGHT ON DUTIE
DUTIES.
WHAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS
DOING IS OBSTRUCTING THEIR
DUTIES FOR OVERSIGHT AND
INVESTIGATION.
>> Martha: THEY HAD IN THE
PREVIOUS SITUATIONS WHERE THEY
DEALT WITH THIS KIND OF THING.
>> WHAT WE WOULD SAY AND WHAT
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS SAID
PARTICULARLY THE LAST 24 HOURS,
WE HAVE SEEN THE WHITE HOUSE
PARTICULARLY PRESIDENT TRUMP
COME OUT AND OBSTRUCT THE
INVESTIGATION BY NOT ALLOWING A
SITTING AMBASSADOR TO TESTIFY
BEFORE CONGRESS.
FURTHERMORE, NOTING THAT HE IS
NOT BOUND TO THE CONSTITUTION.
CONGRESS HAS OVERSIGHT, SO
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN --
>> Martha: WE CLEARLY HAVE A
DIFFERENT OPINION.
>> MARTHA, CAN I SAY ONE MORE
THING?
THE CONSTITUTION IS NOT, YOU
KNOW, THE CONSTITUTION ISN'T A
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AND THE
CONSTITUTION STATES THAT
CONGRESS HAS THIS ABILITY, THIS
OVERSIGHT ABILITY, AND THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND THE PRESIDENT
ARE NOT COOPERATING.
IT'S OUR POSTURE THAT'S
INSTRUCTING INVESTIGATION.
>> Martha: THE PIECE THAT I
PUT UP A FOUR, WHICH TALKS ABOUT
THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN COLLAPSING --
[LAUGHS]
>> Martha: I DON'T BLAME YOU.
YOU SHOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT
THIS WHOLE CULTURE FASCIA OVER
UKRAINE.
IT BRINGS UP THE HUNTERS BIDEN
BACK IN THE BLOODSTREAM AND IF
JOE BIDEN BECOMES THE NOMINEE,
THERE IS NO DOUBT ON THE DEBATE
STAGE OR ANYWHERE ELSE, HE WOULD
BE ASKED, WHY WAS YOUR SON PAID
$50,000 FOR SOMETHING HE DIDN'T
HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE DOING, AND
WOULD HE HAVE GOTTEN THAT JOB OR
THEY DEAL WITH CHINA IF HE
WASN'T NAMED BIDEN?
WOULD HE HAVE GOTTEN ANY OF
THOSE OPPORTUNITIES IF HE WAS IN
THE VICE PRESIDENT'S SON?
WHAT'S THE ANSWER TO THAT?
>> MARTHA, LOOK.
I DISPEL THE MYTH THAT OUR
CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN COLLAPSING.
I THINK PEOPLE THOUGHT OUR
CAMPAIGN WAS ON THE BRINK OF
COLLAPSE BEFORE THE CAMPAIGN
STARTED BUT THEY'VE BEEN WRITING
OUR CAMPAIGN'S OF MATURITY SINCE
APRIL 24TH AND I THINK WE ARE
DOING PRETTY WELL.
WE ARE ENGAGING WITH VOTERS ALL
UPON THIS COUNTRY.
I WILL REFER TO THEM AS SMEARS
AND LINES, THAT THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAS PUT FORTH AND
DONALD TRUMP HAS PUT FORTH
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN AND HIS
FAMILY IS THEY ARE NOT TRUE,
MARTHA.
>> Martha: DO YOU BELIEVE HE
WOULD'VE MADE THAT MONDAY IF HE
WASN'T THE VICE PRESIDENT'S SON?
THE VICE PRESIDENT WAS
OVERSEEING UKRAINE AND CHINA.
SUDDENLY HE GOT THESE POSITIONS
IN UKRAINE AND CHINA.
IT DOES RAISE LEGITIMATE
QUESTIONS AND I DO NOT THINK WHO
IS INTERVIEWING A QUESTION
DURING THE VICE PRESIDENT, HE'S
GOING TO HAVE TO ANSWER TO THESE
QUESTIONS.
>> MARTHA, HE'S BEEN ASKED
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
OUR POSTURE IS THIS: WHAT
DONALD TRUMP IS ALLEGING IN WHAT
HE'S ALLEGING, THAT
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN DID
SOMETHING UNTOWARD, THAT THERE
WAS SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON,
THAT THE FIRING OF THE UKRAINE
PROSECUTOR, THE E.U., THE IMF,
THE ENTIRETY OF THE WEST WAS
UNITED IN WANTING, THE REFORMERS
IN UKRAINE ONCE IT WAS SOMEHOW
NOT ON THE UP AND UP AND DEVISED
TO PROTECT VICE PRESIDENT
BIDEN'S SON, THAT'S WHAT HE'S
SAYING?
THAT'S NOT TRUE.
OUR CAMPAIGNS POSTURE AND
FRANKLY VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S
POSTURE SPECIFICALLY HAS BEEN TO
UNEQUIVOCALLY BACK DOWN THOSE
SMEARS, THOSE LINES, THOSE
ASSERTIONS.
MARTHA, THE LAST THING I WANT TO
NOTE ON THIS IS FRANKLY,
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS BEEN
CLEAR.
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S OATH OF OFFICE
IS TO PROTECT AMERICANS, PROTECT
OUR STANDING ON THE
INTERNATIONAL WORLD AND HE'S
VIOLATED THAT OATH, VIOLATED THE
CONSTITUTION.
ANYTIME HE WANTS TO BRING A
PUNTER BIDEN, IT SHOULD COME
BACK TO DONALD TRUMP AND WHAT
HE'S DOING.
>> Martha: I UNDERSTAND THAT
AS A STRATEGY.
IT'S A QUESTION THAT WILL
CLEARLY BE ASKED BECAUSE OF ALL
OF THIS AND AN INTERESTING PIECE
BY PETER SCHWEIZER IN
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" TODAY
SAYING WHAT HUNTERS BIDEN DID IS
PERFECTLY LEGAL.
BUT IS IT RIGHT?
HE'S RAISING QUESTIONS WHETHER
OR NOT IT PRESENTS A BAD LOOK
AND WHAT THE VICE PRESIDENT
THINGS ABOUT THAT IN RETROSPECT?
>> AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE WAS OUT
THERE TODAY -- I THINK SHE'S ON
A BOOK TOUR AND I THINK SHE WAS
ON THE "VIEW" OR SOMETHING.
>> Martha: WE HAVE THAT.
>> YOU HAVE THE CLIP.
>> Martha: STICK AROUND FOR
THAT.
BUT GO AHEAD.
>> SHE SERVED ON THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION AND SAID THERE IS
NO QUESTION ABOUT HIS CHARACTER,
COMMITMENT TO AMERICA.
AND HE WENT OUT THERE THAT IS
WONDERING, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN
TRUST WHERE JOE BIDEN STANDS
WHEN IT COMES TO AMERICA AND
AMERICAS INTEREST AND IS HE ON
THE UP AND UP, I WOULD SAY THE
ANSWER IS UNEQUIVOCALLY YES.