WHAT HE HOPES WILL BE A SHOW OF
SOLIDARITY.
SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH?
>> KRISTEN WELKER LEADING US
OFF, THANK YOU.
JOINING US NOW IS JENTHE NEW WHI
HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> AT NOON TODAY, VICE PRESIDENT
BIDEN WILL BE THE 46th PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES AND GIVE AN
INAUGURAL ADDRESS, WHICH CAN SET
THE AGENDA AND SET THE TONE.
WHAT IS HIS MESSAGE GOING TO BE?
>> SAVANNAH, THIS SPEECH AND
TODAY IS NOT ABOUT JOE BIDEN.
HE IS BECOMING THE PRESIDENT
TODAY, BUT IT IS ABOUT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
HE IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE
RESOLVE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THE BENEFIT, THE POWER OF COMING
TOGETHER.
THAT’S REALLY THE MESSAGE I
THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HEAR
FROM HIS SPEECH TODAY.
HE KNOWS HE IS COMING IN TO
LEAVE A COUNTRY THAT NEEDS A
LEADER WHO IS GOING TO HELP
HEAL, AND THAT WILL BE HIS FOCUS
FROM THE MOMENT HE IS SWORN IN.
>> PEOPLE WILL HEAR HIS WORDS
AND WILL ALSO SEE UNPRECEDENTED
SECURITY IN WASHINGTON,
D.C.WE’RE TALKD.C..
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT 25,000 ARMED
TROOPS PROTECTING THE CAPITOL
BECAUSE OF THE ARMED RIOTS TWO
WEEKS AGO.
DOES THE PRESIDENT-ELECT WORRY
ABOUT HIS SECURITY?
WAS THERE THOUGHT GIVEN TO DOING
THIS INSIDE OR A SAFER LOCATION?
>> SAVANNAH, IT SENDS AN
INCREDIBLY POWERFUL MESSAGE TO
THE COUNTRY AND TO THE WORLD, TO
SEE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES BEING SWORN IN OUTSIDE.
WE’VE TAKEN A NUMBER OF
PRECAUTIONS.
WE HAVE HEEDED THE ADVICE AND
GUIDANCE OF OUR SECURITY TEAM,
OF THE SECRET SERVICE, WHO HAVE
BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS FOR A
YEAR.
AS YOU NOTED, THERE ARE 20,000
NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS WE’RE
INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO, BECAUSE
THEY ARE PROTECTING OUR CITY AND
HELPING KEEP THE PRESIDENT-ELECT
AND ALL OF US SAFE.
TODAY IS ALSO ABOUT SENDING A
MESSAGE THAT THIS IS A COUNTRY
THAT HAS RESOLVE.
HE IS READY TO LEAVE IT.
WE FEEL IT IS VERY POWERFUL TO
HAVE THAT DONE OUTSIDE.
>> YEAH.
TO SAY THERE IS DIVISION IN THIS
COUNTRY IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
TWO-THIRDS OF REPUBLICANS DON’T
EVEN BELIEVE THAT JOE BIDEN WAS
LEGITIMATE SI ELECTLY ELECTED.
A THIRD OF ALL AMERICANS BELIEVE
THAT.
HOW DO YOU BRIDGE A DIVIDE LIKE
THAT?
>> WELL, IT’S NOT GOING TO
HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
HE TELLS SS THAT TO US ALL THE
TIME.
OUR EXPECTATION AND HOPE IS THAT
HE CAN LEAD BY EXAMPLE, BY
REACHING ACROSS THE AISLE, BY
ENGAGING WITH REPUBLICANS AS
WELL AS DEMOCRATS.
NOT JUST HERE IN WASHINGTON.
ALL OF THE WORK OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN HERE,
BUT TO MAYORS, GOVERNORS, TO
PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T VOTE FOR HIM.
WHAT HE’S PLEDGED IS THAT HE
WILL GOVERN FOR ALL AMERICANS.
HE EXPECTS THE SAME OF ALL OF
US, THAT WE WILL SPEAK TO THE
PROBLEMS EVERYBODY IS FACING.
THE PANDEMIC, WHICH YOU ALL HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALREADY THIS
MORNING, IS IMPACTING NOT JUST
BLUE STATES OR RED STATES, IT IS
IMPACTING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF PEOPLE, MILLIONS OF
AMERICANS.
HE WANTS TO GOVERN FOR ALL OF
THEM.
SO HE IS GOING TO LEAD BY
EXAMPLE, AND HE’S HOPEFUL THAT
PEOPLE WILL COME ALONG WITH HIM
ON THE JOURNEY.
>> UNITY IS WHAT EVERYONE SAYS
THEY WANT.
AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS AN
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL THAT IS ABOUT
TO GET UNDER WAY IN THE UNITED
STATES SENATE.
DOES THE PRESIDENT-ELECT BELIEVE
THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP SHOULD BE
IMPEACHED, CONVICTED AND
IMPEACHED?
>> WELL, HE SERVED 36 YEARS IN
THE SENATE.
AS YOU WELL KNOW, SAVANNAH, AND
HE IS GOING TO LEAVE IT TO THE
SENATE, TO DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS, TO DETERMINE WHAT
THE PATH FORWARD SHOULD BE.
>> WON’T THEY LISTEN TO HIM?
>> SPEAKING TO HOW HORRIFIC THE
EVENTS WERE.
HIS ROLE AT THIS POINT IN TIME,
SAVANNAH, IS LEADING THE COUNTRY
AND ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS
THEY’RE FACING, AND DOING IT IN
A FORWARD-LOOKING WAY.
THERE IS AN URGENCY HERE.
THE URGENCY IS GETTING A PACKAGE
PASSED TO GET RELIEF TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, TO GET VACCINE
MONEY OUT THERE, TO ENSURE
PEOPLE ARE GETTING CHECKS IN
THEIR MAILBOXES.
THAT’S WHERE HE IS GOING TO
SPEND HIS POLITICAL CAPITAL.
HE WILL, OF COURSE, BE VERY
ENGAGED WITH DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS WITH THE SENATE,
WITH THE HOUSE, ON A RANGE OF
ACTIVITIES AND A RANGE OF
INITIATIVES THEY HAVE MOVING
FORWARD, BUT HIS FOCUS GOING TO
BE ON BRINGING RELIEF TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THAT’S WHAT HE THINKS HE WAS
ELECTED TO DO.
>> VERY BRIEFLY, SENATOR MITCH
McCONNELL, REPUBLICAN, ONCE
STAUNCH ALLY OF THE PRESIDENT,
HAS LET IT BE KNOWN THAT HE
BELIEVES PRESIDENT TRUMP
COMMITTED IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES.
SETTING ASIDE THAT ISSUE OF
WHETHER HE BELIEVES THE
PRESIDENT SHOULD BE CONVICTED,
DOES VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN
BELIEVE THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
COMMITTED IMPEACH M OECHACHABLE
>> WELL, HE IS GOING TO LEAVE IT
UP TO THE SENATE, TO MITCH
McCONNELL L, CHUCK SCHUMER, AND
OTHER LEADERS TO DETERMINE WHAT
STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO HOLD
THE OUTGOING PRESIDENT
ACCOUNTABLE.
AGAIN, HIS FOCUS GOING TO BE ON
BRINGING RELIEF TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
THAT’S WHAT HE WAS ELECTED TO
DO.
THERE IS AN URGENCY TO THAT.
NO MATTER WHAT THE SENATE IS
DOING AND THE HOUSE IS DOING,
HIS EXPECTATION AND HOPE IS THAT
THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT
PACKAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.