SAVANNAH?
>> ALL RIGHT.
ANDREA MITCHELL, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
WE ARE JOINED NOW BY SUSAN RICE
WHO WAS A FINALIST ON JOE
BIDEN’S SHORT LIST FOR VICE
PRESIDENT.
SHE ALSO SERVED AS NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER DURING THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
AMBASSADOR RICE, GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
WERE YOU SURPRISED BY THE
CHOICE?
WHAT DO YOU THINK KAMALA HARRIS
BRINGS TO THE TABLE?
>> WELL, GOOD MORNING, SAVANNAH.
SHE’S A GREAT CHOICE.
HE’S GOING TO MAKE A TREMENDOUS
RUNNING MATE FOR JOE BIDEN.
I’M CONFIDENT THE BIDEN/HARRIS
TICKET WILL BE A WINNING ONE.
WE HAVE SO MUCH WORK TO DO TO
PUT OUR COUNTRY BACK ON TRACK,
TO RECOVER FROM THIS PANDEMIC,
TO REVIVE OUR ECONOMY, TO
RESTORE OUR STANDING IN THE
WORLD AND OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.
AND THEY’RE A GREAT TEAM TO DO
IT.
I’M GLAD I’M GOING TO BE ABLE TO
SUPPORT THEM AND DO MY UTMOST TO
HELP ELECT BIDEN/HARRIS AND HELP
THEM GOVERN WHEN THE TIME COMES.
>> WELL, LET’S RECOGNIZE THE
HISTORY THAT WAS MADE YESTERDAY.
SHE’S THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO
BE ON A U.S. MAJOR PARTY TICKET
FOR PRESIDENT.
WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK THAT
WILL HAVE ON THE RACE?
>> I THINK THAT’S SO EXCITING,
SAVANNAH.
I MEAN, IT’S PAST TIME.
BLACK WOMEN ARE THE BACKBONE OF
THIS NATION, NOT JUST OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
WE HAVE BEEN HERE DOING THE HARD
WORK FOR DECADES AND GENERATIONS
AND THIS IS A MOMENT TO
CELEBRATE.
IT’S A MOMENT FOR YOUNG WOMEN
AND YOUNG MEN, FRANKLY, ALL OVER
THIS COUNTRY TO BE ABLE TO SAY
THAT ANY DOOR IS OPEN TO THEM.
AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE
SENATOR HARRIS AND VICE
PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR THIS
HISTORIC CHOICE WHICH I THINK IS
EXCITING AND HISTORIC.
>> YOU KNOW, THERE IS A FLIP
SIDE, UNFORTUNATELY TO THAT.
HILLARY CLINTON WAS VERY BLUNT
SAYING SHE FEELS THAT SEXISM WAS
ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTORS TO HER
LOSS IN 2016.
DO YOU WORRY ABOUT RACISM AND
SEXISM AFFECTING THE RACE WITH
KAMALA HARRIS ON THE TICKET?
>> LOOK, THIS TICKET IS GOING TO
WIN.
AND YES, THERE WILL BE THOSE
THAT EMPLOY RACISM AND SEXISM.
LOOK AT DONALD TRUMP YESTERDAY
CALLING HER NASTY.
HE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT TO ANY
PERSON THAT JOE BIDEN SELECTED
ON THE TICKET.
AND THAT’S THE UNDERTONE.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO WILL NOT
RETREAT FROM THAT KIND OF
DIVISIVENESS AND HATRED.
DONALD TRUMP KPEMPEXEMPLIFYIES I
I THINK THE COUNTRY IS READY TO
ELECT JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA
HARRIS.
I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE SHE’LL
BE TREMENDOUS ON THE TRAIL.
AND FRANKLY, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE
TO BUST THROUGH THESE BARRIERS.
YOU AND I AND ALL THE WOMEN
WATCHING THIS UNDERSTAND THAT IS
THE CHALLENGE WE FACE EVERY DAY.
I THINK WHEN WE DO IT, IT WILL
BE AN EXTRAORDINARY
BREAKTHROUGH.
>> WELL, THE REPUBLICANS HAVE
SEEMED TO SETTLE ALREADY ON ONE
LINE OF ATTACK THAT SHE IS FAR
LEFT, RADICAL LEFT.
MUCH MORE LIBERAL THAN JOE
BIDEN.
DO YOU THINK SHE IS MORE
PROGRESSIVE OR LIBERAL THAN JOE
BIDEN?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, JOE BIDEN
IS THE TOP OF THE TICKET.
IT’S HIS POLICIES AND HIS
APPROACH THAT’S GOING TO SET THE
TONE.
BUT I THINK THEY’RE VERY
COMPATIBLE.
AND I THINK THEIR POSITIONS ARE
VERY CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER.
YOU KNOW, THE REPUBLICANS AND
DONALD TRUMP IN PARTICULAR HAVE
NOTHING TO RUN ON EXCEPT
ATTACKS.
THEY HAVE BEEN SET UP TO
POSITION THEIR ASSAULT ON
WHOEVER WAS TO BE THE VICE
PRESIDENTIAL SELECT AS LEFT AND
SOCIALIST.
IT’S NOT TRUE.
THAT IS NOT WHO KAMALA HARRIS
IS.
IT’S NOT WHO JOE BIDEN IS.
LET THEM HURL THEIR BASELESS
ATTACKS.
IT’S ALL THEY’VE GOT.
MEANWHILE, THIS COUNTRY IS
STRUGGLING.
WE’VE LOST OVER 160,000
AMERICANS TO DONALD TRUMP’S
INCOMPETENCE AND HIS DISREGARD
FOR THE WELL BEING OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE PUTTING HIS OWN
POLITICAL INTERESTS FIRST OVER
THE ECONOMY, OVER OUR STUDENTS
WHO NEED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
IT’S JUST HORRIFIC.
SO THEY’LL GO IN THAT DIRECTION,
BUT KAMALA IS GOING TO BE GREAT
AND I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO
WORK.
>> WELL, LET’S TALK ABOUT KAMALA
HARRIS.
OF COURSE SHE IS A U.S. SENATOR
BUT SHE ALSO RAN FOR PRESIDENT.
HER CAMPAIGN HAD A LOT OF
FANFARE AT THE START.
20,000 PEOPLE AT HER OPENING
EVENT.
SHE RAISED MONEY, BUT IT
FIZZLED.
THE CAMPAIGN WAS ACCUSED OF
MISMANAGEMENT FROM THE INSIDE.
AND SHE DROPPED OUT BEFORE ONE
VOTE WAS EVEN CAST.
IF THAT’S HOW SHE RAN HER
CAMPAIGN, WHY SHOULD PEOPLE HAVE
CONFIDENCE ABOUT HER BEING AT
THE TOP OF THE TICKET?
>> LOOK.
KAMALA HARRIS IS TESTED.
SHE’S WON IN THE LARGEST STATE
IN THE UNION AT STATEWIDE LEVEL
THREE TIMES.
SHE’S A SITTING U.S. SENATOR.
SHE SITS ON THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE, THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE.
SHE’S BEEN A LEADER IN THE
SENATE ON ISSUES OF CRIMINAL
JUSTICE AND MANY OTHER ISSUES
THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AND SHE’S GOING TO BE A
TREMENDOUS VICE PRESIDENT.
AND I THINK JOE BIDEN
UNDERSTANDS THAT, YOU KNOW, HE
DID EXTREMELY WELL ON A TALENTED
FIELD OF CANDIDATES.
AND NOT JUST KAMALA HARRIS.
MANY OTHERS WHO PERFORMED
EXTRAORDINARILY WELL.
ELIZABETH WARREN, AMY KLOBUCHAR.
AND BIDEN EMERGED BECAUSE HE WAS
THE BEST CANDIDATE IN THE FIELD
AND HE’S GOING TO MAKE A
PHENOMENAL PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
AND KAMALA HARRIS IS GREAT.
>> SORRY TO JUMP IN, BUT ONE OF
THE ISSUES FOR HER IN THE
CAMPAIGN WAS THAT SHE WAS KIND
OF ALL OVER THE PLACE ON THE
MAJOR ISSUES OF THE DAY SUCH AS
HEALTH CARE, MEDICARE FOR ALL,
WHETHER PRIVATE INSURANCE SHOULD
BE ABOLISHED.
SHE GAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT
ANSWERS ON THAT OVER THE COURSE
OF THE CAMPAIGN.
THERE WAS A FEELING SHE WAS KIND
OF FLOATING WITH THE WIND.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT HER TO TAKE ON
THAT ISSUE, THAT CRITICISM?
>> SAVANNAH, I DON’T THINK
THAT’S A WELL PLACED CRITICISM.
SHE HAS A TRACK RECORD, VOTING
RECORD.
IT’S BEEN QUITE CLEAR.
AND SHE WILL BE ON THIS TICKET
IN SUPPORT OF JOE BIDEN.
IT’S NOT HER WHO’S TOP OF THE
TICKET.
THEY’RE A TEAM.
JOE BIDEN LEADS THAT TEAM AND
JOE BIDEN’S POLICY POSITIONS ARE
THE ONES WE’RE ALL COMMITTED TO
SUPPORTING.
SO THAT’S WHERE WE NEED TO CHEMO
THE FOCUS.
I THINK THEIR PERSPECTIVES ARE
HIGHLY COMPATIBLE.
I THINK ANY EFFORTS TO SUGGEST
OTHERWISE ARE FRANKLY MISPLACED.
>> MADAM AMBASSADOR, I HAVE TO
ASK YOU AND IT IS A LITTLE
AWKWARD, BUT IT WAS WIDELY
REPORTED THAT YOU WERE ON THE
SHORT LIST.
SOME SAID YOU WERE EVEN IN THE
TOP TWO FINALISTS THAT HE
CONSIDERED YOU TO BE HIS VICE
PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE.
SO I CANASK YOU IF YOU’RE
DISAPPOINTED.
YOU’RE OBVIOUSLY HERE THIS
MORNING, BUT ARE YOU
DISAPPOINTED?
AND WHEN HE CALLED TO GIVE YOU
THAT NEWS, DID YOU TALK ABOUT
SERVING IN A BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION?
>> LOOK, I AM HAPPY TO HAVE BEEN
PART OF THIS PROCESS.
I’M HUMBLED TO BE AMONG AN
EXTRAORDINARY GROUP OF WOMEN WHO
WERE CONSIDERED.
I’VE KNOWN JOE BIDEN FOR MANY
YEARS.
WE’VE WORKED VERY, VERY CLOSELY
TOGETHER.
HE’S A WONDERFUL MAN.
HE’S A FRIEND.
AND I HAVE SAID FROM THE
OUTSET -- I’LL SAY IT AGAIN.
I’LL DO EVERYTHING I POSSIBLY
CAN TO HELP JOE BIDEN BECOME THE
NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES AND TO HELP HIM SUCCEED
IN GOVERNING IN WHATEVER FORM OR
FASHION HE WANTS.
SO I’M READY TO SERVE.
I’M EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
AND I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT
WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TURN
OUR COUNTRY AROUND, PROVIDE HOPE
AND A FUTURE FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND RESTORE THE INTEGRITY
TO OUR DEMOCRACY WHICH HAS BEEN
SO BADLY DAMAGED.
>> REAL QUICK BECAUSE I WANT TO
GET AN ANSWER, DID YOU TALK
ABOUT SERVING IN A BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION SHOULD HE BE
VICTORIOUS?
>> I’LL LET JOE BIDEN ANSWER
THAT QUESTION, BUT LET ME SAY
I’M PROUD TO SERVE IN ANY WAY
HE’D LIKE.
>> AMBASSADOR RICE, THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.