♪ GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN ♪ ♪ LET NOTHING YOU DISMAY ♪
>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
JOINING US NOW IS THE FUTURE FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES,
DR. JILL BIDEN.
DR. BIDEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
>> Stephen: HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU, TOO.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: YOU ARE HISTORIC IN THAT YOU WILL BE THE FIRST
FIRST LADY WITH A FULL-TIME, PAYING JOB.
WHAT IS THAT AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO THINK OF IT IN HISTORIC
TERMS, I GUESS, BECAUSE I TAUGHT ALL EIGHT YEARS WHILE I WAS
SECOND LADY, BUT I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING FIRST
LADY AND DOING TO THINGS THAT I DID AS SECOND LADY, CARRYING ON
WITH MILITARY FAMILIES AND EDUCATION AND FREE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE, CANCER THAT, YOU KNOW, JOE AND I HAVE BOTH WORKED ON,
AND THEN -- AND I'M GOING TO TEACH AS WELL.
>> Stephen: YOU ONCE SAID IN YOUR OWN MEMOIR, THE ROLE I HAVE
ALWAYS FELT MOST AT HOME IN IS DR. BIDEN.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE RECENTLY TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES TO QUESTION
THAT TITLE OF YOURS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY REACTION TO THOSE PEOPLE?
>> YEAH.
THAT WAS SUCH A SURPRISE.
>> Stephen: IT CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE AS WELL.
I DID NOT SEE THAT ONE COMING.
>> NO, NOR DID I.
AND REALLY THE TONE OF IT THAT I THINK -- YOU KNOW, HE CALLED ME
"KIDDO."
ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST PROUD OF IS MY DOCTORATE, YOU KNOW, I
WORKED SO HARD FOR IT.
YOU KNOW, JOE CAME WHEN I DEFENDED MY THESIS.
>> I GOT TO HAND HER HER DOCTOR RAT ON STAGE OF THE UNIVERSITY
OF DELAWARE.
SHE HAD TWO MASTERS DEGREE.
SHE KEPT GOING SCHOOL ALL THE TIME WHILE TEACHING AT NIGHT.
I SAID, JILL, WHY DON'T YOU GET A DOCTORATE AND MAKE US SOME
REAL MONEY.
SHE GETS THE DOCTORATE AND GETS A $2,000 RAISE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WHO CAME
OUT IN SUPPORT OF ME.
I AM SO GRATEFUL.
I WAS JUST OVERWHELMED BY HOW GRACIOUS PEOPLE WERE TOWARD ME.
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF A
COMPLIMENT THAT PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO THINK OF SOMETHING TO
CRITICIZE YOU ABOUT LIKE, I GOT IT!
>> I'LL TAKE IT.
>> Stephen: AS A HUSBAND WHO LOVES THIS PERSON, DID YOU EVER
WANT TO GET OUT A LENGTH OF POOL CHAIN AND GO FULL CORN POP ON
THESE PEOPLE?
>> THE ANSWER IS THAT'S CLOSE.
NO, NO.
BUT THERE ARE SOME OF THESE -- ANYWAY.
>> Stephen: MM-HMM.
IT WAS THE TOBE OF IT.
HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSING MY IRISHNESS FOR SOME TIME.
>> Stephen: IT'S ALWAYS A SMART THING TO DO.
THE INAUGURAL, OBVIOUSLY, IS I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DAYS AWAY.
I BET ONE OF YOUR STAFF KNOWS.
HOW MANY DAYS AWAY IS IT?
WHAT?
34.
SEND THAT GIRL A BOX OF STEAKS.
SHE GOT IT RIGHT.
SO 34 DAYS FROM NOW, MR. PRESIDENT ELECT, YOU FIRST
RAN FOR THIS JOB 32 YEARS AGO.
I GOT TO THINK YOU HAVE BEEN IMAGINING WHAT THAT DAY WAS
GOING TO BE LIKE FOR A LONG TIME.
WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE NOW IN REALITY?
HOW DOES THAT MATCH YOUR ORIGINAL IMAGE?
>> WELL, THE TRUTH IS I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR A LONG
TIME, FOR REAL.
AFTER BEAU DIED -- I DECIDED, I WAS A PROFESSOR AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, HAD AN INSTITUTE AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF DELAWARE, AND WASN'T TILL THE FOLKS CAME OUT OF THE FIELDS AT
CHARLOTTESVILLE I REALIZED SOMETHING HAD TO HAPPEN.
OUR GRANDDAUGHTERS AND GRANDSON CAME TO SEE US AND SAID YOU'VE
GOT TO RUN, POP, AND THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED TO RUN.
IT'S BEEN MORE A SENSE OF OBLIGATION THAN WANTING TO LIVE
IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
IT'S ABOUT CHANGING -- THIS IS NOT WHO -- THE COUNTRY WE HAVE
BEEN IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS IS NOT WHO WE ARE, AND WE HAVE TO
GET BACK TO WHO WE ARE.
WE ARE A DEMOCRACY, WE ARE A DEMOCRACY THAT HAS SHOWN RESPECT
AND DECENCY AND A BEACON TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, AND WE'RE
LOSING THAT.
>> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT THE THE EVENT ITSELF?
WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE INAUGURAL?
HAVE THE PLANS BEEN SOLIDIFIED YET?
I KNOW YOU WILL BE HOLDING THE BIBLE.
>> I HAVE BEEN HOLDING THE BIBLE.
I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR IT TODAY.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING OUT?
THIS IS THE SIZE OF YOUR FAMILY BIBLE.
> 1893.
>> Stephen: WHY IS YOUR BIBLE BIGGER THAN MINE?
DO YOU HAVE MORE JESUS THAN I DO?
>> NO, BUT IT'S BEEN A FAMILY HEIRLOOM IN THE BIDEN FAMILY.
EVERY IMPORTANT DATE IS IN THERE.
EVERY TIME I HAVE BEEN SWORN IN ANYTHING THE DATE HAS BEEN IN
THAT, INSCRIBED IN THE BIBLE.
THE SON, SWORN IN AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, ALL THE IMPORTANT DATES
IN OUR FAMILY GOING WAY BACK, AND IT'S JUST BEEN A FAMILY
HEIRLOOM.
>> Stephen: THERE HAS BEEN SPECULATION ABOUT WHETHER YOUR
PREDECESSOR WILL ATTEND, AS IS TRADITIONAL, YOUR INAUGURAL.
DOES IT MATTER TO YOU WHETHER HE DOES?
>> IN A PERSONAL SENSE, NO, BUT IN A SENSE RELATING TO --
>> HISTORY, RIGHT?
-- HISTORY.
IN TERMS OF WE HAVE BEEN THE BEACON OF DEMOCRACY FOR THE LAST
200 YEARS, AND THE PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER, AND THE POWER
BEING■ HANDED FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER, ONE PARTY TO ANOTHER IS
WHO WE ARE, AN THAT'S THE PART I WORRY ABOUT IS HOW THAT REFLECTS
AROUND THE WORLD.
AND, SO, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY STANDPOINT FROM -- I DON'T TAKE
IT PERSONALLY, BUT I DO THINK IT AFFECTS THE VIEW OF THE REST OF
THE WORLD AS TO WHO WE ARE.
>> Stephen: SO FOR THE GOOD TO HAVE THE COUNTRY, IT WOULD BE A
BETTER THING TO HAVE HAPPEN?
>> I THINK SO.
>> Stephen: SEEMS LIKE, AS LONG AS THE BOTH OF YOU HAVE
BOTH BEEN IN WASHINGTON, AND WHETHER -- WEATHERED THE SLINGS
AND ARROWS OF THE TOWN, YOU'RE ABOUT TO STEP INTO SOMETHING
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT RIGHT NOW.
AND AS YOU'VE KNOWN, PEOPLE WHO YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD RELY ON
SOMETIMES TURN ON YOU.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AND HOW WILL YOU SUSTAIN EACH OTHER FOR
THE ATTACKS YOU KNOW ARE COMING YOUR WAY?
CASE IN POINT, I KNOW YOU WANT TO BE AS BIPARTISAN AND REACH
ACROSS THE AISLE, BUT AS MUCH AS YOU DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN, YOU
KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO MAKE HAY IN WASHINGTON ARE GOING
TO TRY TO USE YOUR ADULT SON AS A CUDGEL AGAINST YOU.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO THOSE
PEOPLE?
>> WELL, LOOK, I HAVE -- WE HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN OUR SON.
I AM NOT CONCERNED ABOUT ANY ACCUSATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE
AGAINST HIM.
IT'S USED TO GET TO ME.
I THINK IT'S KIND OF FOUL PLAY, BUT, LOOK, IT IS WHAT IT IS, AND
HE'S A GROWN MAN, HE IS THE SMARTEST MAN I KNOW, IN A PURELY
INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY, AND AS LONG AS HE'S GOOD, WE'RE GOOD.
>> Stephen: AS A FATHER, I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I ADMIRE
THAT, BUT I MEAN, IN TERMS OF YOUR JOB AS PRESIDENT, CAN YOU
REACH ACROSS THE AISLE TO PEOPLE WHO WILL BE USING THIS AS AN
ATTACK ON YOU, WHEN IT IS SUCH A PERSONAL ATTACK BECAUSE IT'S
ABOUT FAMILY?
>> BUT IF IT BENEFITS THE COUNTRY, YES.
I REALLY MEAN IT.
BECAUSE WE KNOW WHO WE ARE.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE A BETTER MAN THAN I.
>> DON'T GET ME WRONG, DOESN'T MEAN I'M NOT ANGRY, DOESN'T MEAN
I WASN'T ANGRY AND DOESN'T MEAN IF I WERE BACK IN THE DAYS OF
HIGH SCHOOL I WOULDN'T SAY COME HERE AND GO A ROUND.
>> BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE HIGH ROAD.
>> BUT, LOOK, THERE'S SO MUCH AT STAKE, AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
I THINK THEY CAN SMELL THE PHONINESS, SMELL WHAT'S TRUE AND
WHAT'S NOT TRUE, AND I JUST -- BUT WHAT IT DOES DO, A COUPLE OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE -- IT'S JUST BEEN A DISAPPOINTMENT.
I FEEL BADLY FOR THEM.
I'M NOT BEING FACETIOUS.
>> WE FEEL BAD FOR OUR FRIENDS.
I FEEL BADLY.
BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED?
WHAT WENT WRONG?
WHAT'S -- >> YEAH.
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
AND BECAUSE -- ANYWAY, AND LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WHO STEPPED UP,
LOOK AT ALL THE REPUBLICANS WHO STEPPED UP IN THIS CAMPAIGN,
FORMER OFFICE HOLDERS, YOU KNOW, JOHN MCCAIN'S WIFE, PEOPLE WHO
WENT OUT THERE WHO HOLD PUBLIC OFFICE, WHO ARE MAJOR REPUBLICAN
FIGURES, THE FORMEN CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
I MEAN, SO, THERE'S A LOT MORE GOOD.
BUT MY JOB, I'M NOT KIDDING, STEPHEN, I'M GOING TO BE JUDGED
BY HISTORY, WHETHER OR NOT I CAN MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND I WILL DEAL WITH ANYONE IF WHAT WE'RE
WORKING ON IS IMPROVING THE WELL BEING OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
IT'S NOT PHONY, IT'S REAL.
I'LL SWALLOW HARD AND I'LL DO IT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE ANOTHER QUICK BREAK.
STICK AROUND, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN AND
DR. JILL BIDEN.
♪♪♪