AS SOMEONE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU
KNOW HER AND THAT HELPS THEM A
LOT.
>> LET’S GET PEOPLE MORE OF A
CHANCE BECAUSE JOINING US NOW
LIVE I AM PLEASED TO SAY IS DR.
JILL BIDEN.
DEMOCRATS FERVENTLY HOPE THAT IN
A MATTER OF MONTHS SHE WILL BE
THE SECOND FIRST LADY OF THE
UNITED STATES.
YOU HAVE EVERY OPTION IN THE
WORLD.
THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE
WITH US.
>> NO.
THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION TO
BE WITH YOU.
>> YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING
ABOUT YOUR POLITICAL LIFE AS A
NONPOLITICIAN BUT AS SOMEBODY
WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH ALL OF IT.
YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH SORT OF A
LESSOR ITERATIONS OF THIS
BEFORE.
YOU HAVE BEEN AT YOUR HUSBAND’S
SIDE AS HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT
BEFORE WITH HIM THROUGH BARACK
OBAMA CHOOSING HIM AS HIS
RUNNING MATE AND THAT CAMPAIGN
AND THE RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN,
ALL THE CONVENTIONS THAT’S
BROUGHT YOU TO OVER THE YEARS.
HOW DIFFERENT IS THIS NOW?
NOW THAT HE IS THE NOMINEE, NOW
THAT YOU MAY VERY WELL BE FIRST
LADY, HOW DIFFERENT IS THIS?
>> YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY
DIFFERENT.
AND IT’S REALLY EXCITING.
AND YOU’RE RIGHT, YOU KNOW, IT
JUST WASN’T THE RIGHT TIME
BEFORE.
BUT THIS TIME FEELS DIFFERENT.
SO MANY PEOPLE KEPT COMING UP TO
ME.
I MEAN, I HAVE TO SAY, WE DID
NOT PLAN ON RUNNING.
BUT AFTER THIS PRESIDENT WAS
ELECTED, SO MANY PEOPLE CAME UP
TO ME AND KEPT SAYING, JILL, JOE
HAS TO RUN.
HE HAS TO RUN.
AND THEN CHARLOTTESVILLE
HAPPENED, AND THIS PRESIDENT
SAID THERE WERE GOOD PEOPLE ON
BOTH SIDES.
AND JOE JUST COULDN’T HEAR THAT.
AND SO WE DECIDED TO RUN.
>> DO YOU AGREE WITH SOME OF THE
STARKNESS OF THE WARNINGS THAT
WE HAVE HEARD THIS WEEK?
FOR EXAMPLE FROM BOTH MICHELLE
AND BARACK OBAMA DURING THIS
CONVENTION, THE FORMER FIRST
LADY IT CAN AND WILL GET MUCH
WORSE THAN IT IS NOW IF HE IS
RE-ELECTED.
THE FORMER PRESIDENT FLAT-OUT
WARNING WE’RE AT RISK OF LOSING
OUR NO, MA’AMSY SYDEMOCRACY DEPE
IS THAT THE BAYWAY YOU THINK ABO
IT AS WELL?
>> YES.
I THINK WHAT BARACK AND MICHELLE
SAID IS RIGHT.
I MEAN, THINGS COULD GET MUCH
WORSE.
WE CAN’T TAKE FOUR MORE YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, JOE IS GOING TO
LEAD US IN A NEW DIRECTION.
AND THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO
THINK ABOUT.
HIS TYPE OF LEADERSHIP.
YOU KNOW, HE’LL LEAD WITH
EMPATHY AND HE’LL JUST BE A MUCH
STRONGER PRESIDENT AND KINDNESS
AND COMPASSION.
YOU KNOW, JOE KNOWS WHAT IT’S
LIKE FOR -- I MEAN, HIS FATHER
LOST HIS JOB.
JOE UNDERSTANDS THAT.
HIS PARENTS COULDN’T PAY FOR THE
COLLEGE THAT HE WANTED TO GO TO.
JOE UNDERSTANDS THAT.
AND YOU KNOW THE TRAGEDY AND THE
LOSS THAT JOE AND OUR FAMILY HAS
BEEN THROUGH.
AND WITH SO MANY PEOPLE DEALING
WITH LOSS DURING THIS TIME OF
THE PANDEMIC, THEY WILL HAVE A
PRESIDENT IN JOE BIDEN WHO KNOWS
WHAT LOSS FEELS LIKE AND WHO
WILL BE EMPATHETIC.
>> DR. BIDEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BEING HERE.
I USED TO CALL MY MOM DOC
BECAUSE SHE WAS ALSO A EDUCATOR
WITH A PHD.
AND SO I WANT TO TALK TO YOU
ABOUT THE VENUE THAT YOU CHOSE
FOR YOUR SPEECH WHEN YOU WERE
SPEAKING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AND INTRODUCING YOURSELF.
YOU KNOW, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
AND PARENTS OF STUDENTS ARE VERY
TRAUMATIZED AND SCARED RIGHT
NOW.
IT’S A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME TO
DECIDE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO
WITH YOUR KIDS BECAUSE OF COVID.
HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK THAT
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN
NEEDS TO CONVEY THAT SENSE?
YOU KNOW, IS THIS GOING TO BE
MORE ABOUT COMFORTING THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, INSPIRING THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE OR REALLY
SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO THOSE KINDS
OF FEARS, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW,
THE FEARS OF TEACHERS AND SCHOOL
STAFFS AND PARENTS.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, JOE IS GOING
TO BE ALL OF THOSE BECAUSE JOE
WILL HAVE A STRATEGY TO LEAD US
FORWARD.
AND HE’S ALREADY WORKING ON THAT
STRATEGY.
AND THIS PANDEMIC HAS JUST
POINTED OUT SO MANY INEQUITIES
IN EDUCATION.
THAT’S WHY I CHOSE TO GO BACK
INTO -- THAT WAS MY ORIGINAL
CLASSROOM AND THAT’S WHY I CHOSE
TO GO BACK THERE BECAUSE SO MANY
EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS ARE
CALLING ME AND SAYING, WHAT DO
WE DO?
WHAT DO WE DO?
PEOPLE ARE FEELING SO ANXIOUS.
BUT WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE
EXPERTS AND THE DOCTORS.
AND WHEN THEY SAY IT’S SAFE TO
GO BACK, WE’LL GO BACK.
LISTEN, NOBODY WANTS TO BE IN
THE CLASSROOM MORE THAN
EDUCATORS.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT FROM MY OWN
EXPERIENCE.
I CAN’T WAIT TO GET BACK.
BUT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
WE HAVE TO BE SAFE.
THERE IS NOTHING MORE PRECIOUS
TO US THAN AMERICA’S CHILDREN.
>> DR. BIDEN, I KNOW FROM
WORKING FOR PRESIDENT BUSH THAT
THE ATTACKS ON A CANDIDATE OR AN
OFFICE HOLDER ARE MOST ACUTELY
FELT BY THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM
MOST.
AND DONALD TRUMP GOT IMPEACHED
OVER HIS EFFORT TO TAKE YOUR
HUSBAND AND SMEAR YOUR FAMILY
AND WEAKEN YOUR HUSBAND
POLITICALLY.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PROTECT
YOUR FAMILY AND YOURSELF NEXT
WEEK?
>> YOU KNOW, WE KNEW THIS WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN.
THESE ARE ALL DISTRACTIONS.
WHEN WE DECIDED TO RUN, WE KNEW
THIS WAS GOING TO BE PART OF THE
CAMPAIGN.
BUT I LOOKED AT JOE AND I SAID,
JOE, WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE
WORST THING THAT COULD EVER
HAPPEN TO US, AND, SO, YOU KNOW,
WE CAN -- WE HAVE STRONG
SHOULDERS.
AND GOING FORWARD JOE IS JUST
GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE
AND WHAT HE’S GOING TO DO AND
HIS PLANS.
SO DONALD TRUMP, WHAT HE’S
TRYING TO GET TO DISTRACT THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC FROM THE ISSUES
THAT JOE IS GOING TO PUT FORTH.
>> DR. BIDEN, I HAVE ONE LAST
QUESTION FOR YOU AND I’M NOT
SURE I HOW OLD ANSWER IT IF
SOMEBODY ASKED ME THIS ABOUT MY
PARTNER.
BUT WHAT’S HE LIKE ON A BIG
NIGHT LIKE THIS?
WHAT’S IT LIKE BETWEEN THE TWO
OF YOU AND WHAT’S IT LIKE FOR
HIM PERSONALLY WHEN HE KNOWS
HE’S GOING TO HAVE A LANDMARK
MOMENT TONIGHT?
THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE NIGHTS
OF HIS LIFE AFTER SO MANY
DECADES IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
WHAT IS HE LIKE UNDER THIS KIND
OF PRESSURE IN BIG EVENTS?
>> YOU KNOW, JOE, I JUST LEFT
HIM.
HE’S AT HOME.
HE’S OUT ON THE PORCH WITH OUR
GRANDKIDS.
HE’S DOING WHAT HE LOVES.
HE’S RELAXED.
HE’S CONFIDENT.
YOU KNOW, JOE KNOWS WHO HE IS.
HE KNOWS HIS VISION.
HE KNOWS WHERE HE WANTS TO TAKE
THE COUNTRY.
JOE WILL BE A VERY CONFIDENT
PRESIDENT.
>> DR. JILL BIDEN, THE FORMER
SECOND LADY OF THE UNITED
STATES, POTENTIALLY THE NEXT
FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES.
DR. BIDEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
TAKING TIME TO TALK TO US ON
SUCH A BIG NIGHT.
YOU CAN BE ANYWHERE.