JUST IN: Team Biden-Harris Holds Press Conference After JD Vance Accepts VP Nomination At The RNC
On Thursday, the Biden-Harris Campaign, the DNC, and Congressional Democrats held a press briefing.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good morning everybody. It's good to be back with you all again today. I had planned to kick things off by responding to J.D. Vance's primetime address last night, but unfortunately it was so boring and full of empty air that I honestly don't have anything to say about it.
00:23It is pretty clear now why the Yale law grad Donald Trump supposedly chose for his debating skills won't commit to debating the Vice President. After last night's lackluster performance, if I was him, I wouldn't want to debate her either.
00:36He might not have inspired a single American to vote for him, but he did provide a picture-perfect contrast between himself. He is a spineless backbencher desperate for Trump's approval, and our own Vice President Kamala Harris is a powerful leader and a terrific partner to President Biden.
00:51President Biden and Vice President Harris have worked hand-in-hand to deliver so much progress for the American people. They've supercharged historic economic growth, creating nearly 16 million new jobs. They've taken on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug prices. They've capped insulin costs. They've made historic investments in rebuilding our nation's infrastructure and creating a clean energy future.
01:14They've forgiven more student loan debt than any other administration in history. And the list goes on and on.
01:21But we're here today to talk about tonight. Tonight, Donald Trump is going to take the stage for the third time as the Republican Party's nominee.
01:29And, y'all, we all know what he's going to say, because Donald Trump says the same four or five things over and over again. All of them are about himself. Not a single one of them is true. And not a single one of them will improve the life of anyone in this country except for Donald Trump.
01:47He'll say the economy was great when he was president, but it wasn't. He's the first president since Hoover to leave office with fewer jobs than when he entered. He'll talk about how much he loves the military and veterans, but he calls them suckers and losers for serving this country. And he did nothing to get them better access to health care.
02:04He'll say he'll end Russia's war with Ukraine immediately. Sure, but by giving Putin everything he wants and abandoning our allies. He'll talk about securing the border, but he won't talk about how he separated children from their mothers, children that we're still reuniting with their families today.
02:21The architect of the very plan straight out of Project 2025 spoke last night, and he won't talk about taking the toughest, fairest border deal in decades because he thought it would help him politically. Let's talk about what he won't hear. But he would if you attend any Trump's MAGA rallies.
02:38They're going to lie about the 2020 election being stolen, lies about January 6th insurrectionists being hostages and promises to pardon them, praise for authoritarians and white supremacists, comparisons of his political opponents to vermin, assertions that immigrants are poisoning the blood of the country, promises to be a dictator on day one and a bloodbath in this country if he loses,
03:03bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade and abortion bans across the country that have followed, and then there's the sharks, windmills, electrocutions, and of course, mentions of Hannibal Lecter.
03:15And let's also talk about how tonight will be a capstone to a convention that was allegedly going to be all about unity and bringing Americans together. Well, nothing says unity like disturbing floor placards calling for mass deportations on day one, reuniting.
03:30Nothing says unity like inviting the architect of family separation onto the stage to speak. Nothing says unity like leaving the fight chants from the main stage. Nothing says unity like calling the free press fake news, telling them that they're worn out, they're welcome. I don't know what you think, but that sure doesn't seem like a party that is trying to unify the country to me.
03:54But the thing is, Donald Trump and many Republicans don't have a record of accomplishments to run on. So they use hate, extremism, division at his rallies to fire up his base, or he just lies about the record that doesn't exist. The reality is Donald Trump completely failed America as president, and a second Trump term would be even worse.
04:16I'll let Senator Padilla and Congresswoman Beatty talk more about Trump's record and his plans in a moment. But I want to end my remarks with this. Over the course of the last four days, Republicans have offered their vision for the country. And now it's never been more clear that Americans will face a stark choice, a contrasting vision for this country.
04:35The Biden-Harris ticket whose focus on uniting the country, creating opportunity for everyone and lowering costs, or the Trump-Vance one with a harmful agenda of taking away Americans' rights, hurting the middle class, and making life more expensive, all while the ultra-wealthy and greedy corporations benefit.
04:54When voters head to the ballot box this November, I have no doubt they'll choose President Biden and Vice President Harris over former President Trump and J.D. Banz. And with that, I'd like to turn it over to Senator Padilla.
05:24Senator Padilla, welcome to the final day of the Republican National Convention. Now, later today, we'll hear from the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump. So we thought it was important that this morning we begin by setting the record straight about him and his plans for the country.
05:42So for starters, let's not forget, Trump is a convicted felon, found guilty by a jury of his peers on 34 felony counts. That's right, the Republican Party is making history by choosing a convicted felon as their nominee for President of the United States.
06:04And convicted felon Trump has pledged to serve as a dictator on day one. He's also a business fraud. He lost his license to do business in the state of New York and was fined over $350 million for falsifying financial records.
06:23And he's still facing charges for his role in January 6th when he tried to overturn the results of a free and fair election. Now, we know this, we know all this, but it bears repeating each and every day from now until November.
06:43And it's not just important to keep in mind who he is, let's also keep in mind what he intends to do if re-elected. Now, I'm sure you've all heard about Project 2025, Trump's blueprint for a second term put together by hundreds of his former staff.
07:04Project 2025 is a takeover by Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and their migrant loyalists that wolfs back Americans' rights and freedoms, hurts the middle class, and threatens our democracy.
07:18Now, of course, I'm not expecting Donald Trump to tell the American people the truth about his Project 2025 plans. We know Donald Trump is more than willing to lie, to lie to the American people to help himself politically.
07:35But just over the course of the last few days, we've heard lies about his record on abortion, his economic record, his record on crime. Now, this goes on and on.
07:48But simply put, Project 2025 is the most significant attack on our system of government and our personal freedom that has ever been proposed. Shame on the Republican Party!
08:02If elected, Trump and his allies will gut checks and balances to give Trump virtually unlimited power, ban abortion nationwide, and jeopardize access to contraception and IVF treatments,
08:18require a loyalty test, not expertise, to work in his administration, cut Social Security and Medicare, and round up over 10 million immigrants and put them in detention camps,
08:33and he's got his Yes Men and his running mate J.D. Vance himself having praised Project 2025.
08:41Now, put all that together with the Supreme Court's recent ruling that there's virtually no limit on the President's ability to commit crimes and implement his Project 2025 agenda.
08:54Instead of a government of, by, and for the people, Trump is seeking to build a government of, by, and for himself and his loyalists.
09:06I know it's been a busy news cycle, but it's important that we make clear what a second Trump term would hold, and how the contrast could not be clearer with Joe Biden's record and Joe Biden's vision for the future.
09:23Unlike Trump and Project 2025, President Biden's second term will be focused on the working people of America.
09:32Now, we have a hell of a fight in front of us, but Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are ready to lead that fight.
09:39They're going to lead the fight to restore reproductive freedom for every American.
09:45They're going to protect the freedom to vote, a point of personal pride as California's former Secretary of State.
09:52They're going to lead the fight to lower costs for families and ensure that large corporations pay their fair share.
09:59And they're leading the fight to protect our democracy both here at home and abroad.
10:06And now let me draw with this.
10:08This election is going to be about American families, our freedoms, and our democracy.
10:17And if you'll permit me a few words for the Spanish-language press that's in the room.
10:47And with that, I'll now turn it over to my colleague and my friend, the distinguished congresswoman from Ohio, Joyce Beatty.
11:09Good morning, everyone.
11:11I'm Congresswoman Joyce Beatty from the great state of Ohio.
11:14And welcome to day four of the Republican National Convention, or as they're calling it, Make America Great Again Day.
11:24Well, it'd be more accurate to call it Delusional Trump Amnesia Day, because that's the truth.
11:33Trump is going to get up on that stage tonight and talk about how great he is.
11:40And he's going to ask Americans that famous question, are you better off today than you were four years ago?
11:49Well, Donald, I've never been asked an easier question in my life.
11:55Yes.
11:56But now let's take a moment to think back about what it was actually like four years ago.
12:05Trump was president.
12:07He had completely botched the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
12:12Unemployment shot up to 14 percent.
12:16The stock market crashed.
12:18Our economy was on the brink.
12:21Grocery store shelves were empty.
12:24I remember going into those stores.
12:26People were fighting over toilet paper.
12:30And black communities were completely abandoned.
12:34Black unemployment and uninsured rates skyrocketed.
12:39His tax scam worsened the racial wealth gap.
12:44The typical white household got double the cut of a typical black household.
12:49Some 300,000 black Americans lost health insurance in the first two years of his presidency.
12:59Now let's talk about COVID-19.
13:01His COVID-19 response disproportionately left black Americans dead and black-owned business shuttered.
13:10The murder rates spiked by the most on record, and he pushed to bring back stop and frisk.
13:19After losing the 2020 election, we saw it.
13:22Trump put a bow on his failed presidency by encouraging a violent mob to storm the Capitol.
13:30I know this.
13:31I was there.
13:32Now four years later, he, four years later, I can tell you thanks to President Biden's leadership, look how far we've come.
13:42There are nearly 16 million new jobs.
13:46We hit the lowest unemployment rate in over 50 years.
13:50And black unemployment hit historic lows.
13:55We are seeing record economic growth and new business creations, including black small businesses, start up at the fastest rate in 30 years.
14:07Insulin.
14:08Insulin for seniors now costs $35 per month instead of a $400 a month that some were paying.
14:18And let's talk about out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs for our seniors.
14:24It will now be capped at $2,000 a year.
14:28We're rebuilding the nation's roads and bridges and delivering clean water and high-speed Internet to more Americans.
14:38I know.
14:39I voted on that bill.
14:41American manufacturing is booming, 800,000 manufacturing jobs and still counting.
14:49We made the biggest investment in history to combat climate change.
14:54So I guess I'd ask Trump, what isn't great about all of that?
15:02It's true that this November, Americans are going to be asking themselves whether or not they are better off now than they were four years ago.
15:12And whether or not they'll be better off four years from now.
15:17Well, in Joe Biden's America, we defend democracy, not diminish it.
15:23We restore our rights and protect our freedoms, not take them away.
15:29We create opportunities for everyone.
15:32And make sure the super wealthy finally pay their fair share.
15:38That's been true for the last past four years.
15:43And it will continue to be true for the next four years.
15:48That's not Donald Trump's America.
15:51In Donald Trump's America, he took away our rights, hurt middle class, and made life more expensive.
15:58All while benefiting his ultra-rich donors and greedy corporations.
16:04And as he pursues his extreme Project 2025 agenda, we know a second Trump term would be worse.
16:13So yes, this November, we're going to make America great again.
16:18And we're going to do it by defeating Donald Trump at the ballot box in November and sending him back to Mar-a-Lago where he belongs.
16:28And now, it gives me great pleasure to introduce Milwaukee's County Executive, David Crowley, for his remarks.
16:40Thank you so much, Congresswoman Betty.
16:43Indeed, the stakes are incredibly high.
16:46Not just for the entire world, but for the country and the voters that are right here in the Midwest.
16:51Again, I am Milwaukee County's County Executive, David Crowley.
16:55And I really want to take a moment to welcome everyone right here to my county and the best city in the entire world.
17:02Now, Donald Trump may not think it's a great city. He thinks it's horrible.
17:06But I hope that everyone's getting a chance to see how beautiful Milwaukee truly is.
17:12But I will tell you that there is something that is horrible right on display here in Milwaukee.
17:18And that is Project 2025.
17:21Trump, JD Vance, and their mega-allies agenda to destroy our democracy.
17:27They want to gut checks and balances.
17:29They want to solidify power in the Oval Office.
17:32And they want to raise costs for hard-working Wisconsinites while cutting taxes for the rich and powerful.
17:39Now, Trump may be trying to distance himself from this now.
17:42But this was not only his, but this was his team's pet project.
17:47He can't hide from this reality, especially right here in Wisconsin.
17:51The people of Wisconsin know exactly how extreme and dangerous Trump really is.
17:57Now, this year alone, Trump has repeatedly claimed that he won the election right here in Wisconsin in 2020.
18:03And we clearly see that he's obsessed with that lie.
18:06And now he's saying that he wouldn't even accept the outcome of this year's election if he doesn't win.
18:12Not only that, Trump claims that there will be a bloodbath if he loses this election.
18:18He's promised to pardon January 6th rioters who, in an attempt to try to prevent the peaceful transfer of power,
18:25violently attacked our nation's capital as part of a mob that killed a police officer.
18:30Let's not forget about that.
18:33And most worrisome of all, he promises to be a dictator on day one.
18:41Which reminds me of a line, actually, that President Biden likes to say, which is,
18:45you can't only love your country when you win.
18:48You absolutely can't.
18:50And thankfully, the road to the White House runs through Wisconsin.
18:54And this is a state where voters have rejected extremism again and again and again.
19:00Whether it was last year when we protected reproductive rights by electing Justice Brasailes,
19:06or in 2022 when we elected our fantastic governor, Tony Evers,
19:11or back in 2020 when we sent Joe Biden to the White House.
19:16Now, my fellow Wisconsinites and myself, I know that we're going to vote.
19:21And we're going to vote to keep him there in November.
19:23Because we know exactly what is on the line.
19:27We know that we have to protect our democracy because there is no other option.
19:32And with that, I'd like to hand it back to Quentin for any questions.
19:38Okay.
19:44I'm going to use this question in Spanish.
19:46They allowed me to do that.
19:47This is for Senator Padilla.
19:49Thank you for doing that.
19:50Senator Padilla, thank you for doing this.
19:54The Republicans have been mentioning the issue of immigration as a constant in this whole convention,
20:01but in a completely negative way.
20:03Invasion, criminals, and that it only comes to destroy the country.
20:08What message do you send to Latino immigrants,
20:13particularly because they are the majority, finally, those who are in this country?
20:18What risk could they take if Donald Trump wins?
20:22Yes.
20:23Well, the issue of immigration, immigrants,
20:26is an issue that, better than any other,
20:32gives us an example of the difference between the Democratic Party and the leadership of President Biden,
20:38the Republican Party, and the threat that is Donald Trump.
20:43They have made it very clear.
20:45The Republican Party and Donald Trump, if elected,
20:50want to deport more than 10 million immigrants from the United States.
20:55And it's not just a threat.
20:58We know what they did the first time Donald Trump was in the White House.
21:03Separating families.
21:05Imprisoning children.
21:07Children and babies.
21:10They have done it before, and they will do it again, and they will make it worse.
21:14It is a great threat, not only against our values, our families,
21:19but also against the economy and the stability of this country.
21:23We have to respect the contributions and work of so many immigrants in communities,
21:28in all areas of the country.
21:30This is what President Biden has done.
21:33Respecting, recognizing, and fighting for better protections and migratory forms
21:39to help our families and strengthen our communities and the country.
21:45This is the option this November.
21:48Progress under President Biden or threats and return to very dangerous times under Donald Trump.
22:06Hi, thank you.
22:08I have a question for Quentin and one for the Senator.
22:11Quentin, first, how is the President doing today?
22:14And then also there are reports that he's more receptive to conversations about leaving the race.
22:21And I see you smiling.
22:23Is that true?
22:24And is the campaign working on scenarios where Vice President Harris would take the lead?
22:29And then also for Senator Padilla, your future colleague in the Senate, Adam Schiff,
22:35put out a statement calling on President Biden to pass the torch.
22:39He seems very concerned, as do many of your colleagues,
22:42that the President is going to bring the whole party down with him.
22:46Do you believe that it is sustainable for the President to stay in the race?
22:51So on the first question, the President is doing fine.
22:55He is self-isolating in Delaware.
22:57He's continuing to make calls and do work.
22:59He has some official meetings today, a lot of campaign calls that he's getting through,
23:02I think some Zoom calls that he's hopping on potentially.
23:05And as for the second question, look, the Vice President is a part of the Biden-Harris ticket.
23:10Our campaign is not working through any scenarios where President Biden is not the top of the ticket.
23:15He is and will be the Democratic nominee.
23:17I think when it comes to if he's open or being receptive to any of that, look,
23:21the President has said it several times he's staying in this race.
23:24I talk to the President every single day in some form of Zoom or a phone call.
23:28He's usually fact-checking me on a statistic that I got wrong.
23:31Fifteen and a half million jobs is very different than 16 million.
23:34But the President is in this race.
23:36He's going to, and we look forward to him accepting the delegates in Chicago
23:39and continuing with this race to talk about what's at stake.
23:44And I'll just add, yes, I know President Biden, well, he's not skipping a beat.
23:48He may have to ice a little bit because of COVID.
23:51And that shouldn't surprise anybody.
23:52Look, I represent California.
23:54COVID numbers are up.
23:55It's part of our new reality.
23:56But PACSO, yes, bleach, no.
24:00I'll say that again in case you didn't get it.
24:02PACSO, yes, bleach, no.
24:04And so he's going to continue to work, even if it's via phone, via Zoom.
24:08He's got a tremendous day job.
24:10Let's not forget about that.
24:11And he's continuing to aggressively campaign.
24:14Now, to your question about my colleague-to-be, Adam Schiff,
24:17who I've known for many years, respect tremendously,
24:19but couldn't disagree more on this issue.
24:22I mean, for anybody wondering whether President Biden is committed,
24:25members of Congress got a letter last week, a week and a half ago.
24:28He's thought about it.
24:29He's been approached.
24:30And he's decided.
24:31I know, having spoken to him personally, he's committed to the campaign.
24:34He's committed to winning in November because we want to continue the progress we've made on his leadership
24:40and because we know the dangers of Donald Trump.
24:44But as far as the campaign goes, nobody's predicting a landslide this November in any direction.
24:49It was a very close race four years ago, and it's going to be a close race this November.
24:54But the numbers that I've seen, the data that I've seen, the polls that I've seen show that this is
24:59we're more than in the ballgame, but we have 109 days left.
25:04And we need everybody in our team working hard, talking to voters, organizing, mobilizing,
25:10getting ready to get out the vote because there's too much at stake this November to do otherwise.
25:22This is for Executive Crowley.
25:26This whole press conference and this week has been about Project 2025,
25:29but it seems like a majority of Americans aren't going to read that long policy.
25:33Here in Milwaukee specifically, you said it yourself, the presidential election will go through the state.
25:38How are you guys trying to communicate that to Milwaukee County voters, your guys' views on the policy?
25:45Absolutely, that's a great question.
25:47When it comes down to 2025, I mean, this is basically a document,
25:50particularly for a community that has a majority, minority of folks living in it, to where it doesn't benefit us.
25:56Quite frankly, it's looking to take away many of the rights and freedoms that we have fought for
26:00and been able to take advantage of and really taking those rights away.
26:04But it's not just about Project 2025.
26:06I think having the Republican National Convention gives us the ability to also show that stark contrast
26:11when it comes down to the message.
26:13And while, frankly, this gives us an opportunity to get some free advertising to the entire world for Milwaukee,
26:17this also gives us an opportunity to, again, bring issues that directly impact our community.
26:22Folks want to know what we're going to do about affordable housing,
26:25how we're creating opportunities for them to lower the cost that they're seeing in the grocery stores,
26:30making sure that their children still have access to great quality public education,
26:35making sure that we can continue to expand in mental health and opioid addiction treatment services.
26:41We've been able to do that through Milwaukee County,
26:44and we've only been able to do that because of the partnership of the White House and the Biden-Harris administration.
26:49And as long as we can continue to get on the grounds, talk to our grassroots organizers,
26:54and continue to work with our organizations, telling that Democratic story and sharing our vision,
26:58there's no doubt in my mind that we'll be able to win this election.
27:02Four years ago, Joe Biden won this state by 20,000 votes.
27:07We know that when Democrats turn out as many people as possible, we win elections.
27:11And we've shown that trajectory and that trend over many, many years,
27:15seeing how Democrats are chipping away at many of the Republican strongholds.
27:19So as long as we tell our story at both the local and national level,
27:23there's no doubt in my mind that Biden will take this election again this upcoming November.
27:36Project 2025 is polarizing. We all know that.
27:39But for the last three days, I haven't really heard it mentioned in any of the speeches,
27:43virtually nonexistent in the speeches.
27:45Why do you believe that it's not being talked about inside FISA reform,
27:49but it's being talked about outside FISA reform?
27:52I think that's a good question.
27:54And I think the answer to that is you have Donald Trump trying to distance himself from it,
27:59and we know that's not true.
28:01You have J.D. Vance embracing it because he will be the face of it.
28:06I think they don't want to talk about it because they know the American people will start asking more questions.
28:11They're already trying to shield this 900-page document.
28:15If you look at the summary or you read the whole document,
28:19it will talk about the pillars that they have, how they're going to have,
28:23what their transition is, what their first days will be like.
28:27Then they have this whole thing about the employees are going to be in a LinkedIn database.
28:32And if that's not worrisome enough,
28:35they then are creating a presidential administration academy to train these individuals to be like Donald Trump.
28:42But if you get into the guts and the meat of it,
28:45do they want to tell America that they are going to dismantle the Department of Education?
28:50Do they want to tell America that they are going to do away with diversity, equity, and inclusion
28:57and take all federal funding away?
28:59No. You know why?
29:01Because that will make more Democrats be energized.
29:04That will make black America get their attention
29:07when you talk about all of the things that they're going to do in this dictatorship
29:12that will not be good for the soul of this nation,
29:15and it won't be good for the American people.
29:18So they're hiding it, and that's what they do best.
29:21They put sound bites together that aren't attached to any real transition plan or any leadership.
29:29And we saw that when Trump was president and what his four years were like.
29:38The Republicans seem totally united behind Donald Trump here,
29:42and yet we continue to hear reports of Democratic concerns about President Biden at the top of the ticket.
29:48We see polling to that extent.
29:50They just mentioned Representative Schiff.
29:53How do Democrats counter this unified Republican front this fall?
29:58We have to counter it with unity.
30:00And the sooner we get past talking about this and talking about what's at stake
30:04and what we've heard for the first three nights of this convention
30:06and what we're going to hear tonight from Donald Trump,
30:08the better off we'll be.
30:09I mean, a question was just asked about Project 2025.
30:12A rose by the other name is still a rose.
30:15They are talking about it and what they want to do,
30:17and I encourage Americans who are not hearing them say the words Project 2025 on the convention stage
30:22to tune in to these MAGA rallies.
30:24They double down on it every single time,
30:26and when they get in front of any type of bigger audience,
30:28they try to censor themselves because they know that these issues are deeply unpopular.
30:32And I think that all you have to do is look at it.
30:35J.D. Vance wants a nationwide abortion ban.
30:37He is going to be the poster child for this, as Congresswoman Beatty just said.
30:40He wrote an op-ed about wanting to repeal Obamacare in the New York Times.
30:45They put the architect of family separation on stage last night
30:49and then branded it about talking about that they want to unify this country.
30:52There's nothing unifying about that.
30:54And so Democrats have to come together to talk about the work that they have done
30:57for the past three and a half years under President Biden,
30:59capping prescription drug costs, expanding health care,
31:02expanding health care services to our veterans,
31:04making sure that they're going to be taken care of when they come home,
31:08lowering the cost of prescription drugs for everyone,
31:11trying to push for a fair tax code,
31:13actually doing something about immigration and not just lying about it.
31:17And that is our policy, and that is our stance.
31:19And we are going to continue to do everything we can to make sure
31:21that we're drawing a very stark contrast between the two different visions of this country,
31:24and I think that Republicans are showing us exactly who they are.
31:27Can I just follow up quickly for Senator Beatty?
31:31Do you think the party at this point can unify behind President Biden,
31:36given all the doubts, the public doubts by a lot of your colleagues?
31:41Let me just say I am very comfortable that we will be more unified
31:46because we understand that diversity is our strength,
31:50and we are a party of diverse individuals,
31:53but we also recognize greater than that, that unity is our power.
31:57So we're having some family discussions.
31:59I'm comfortable that we'll work through it.
32:01President Biden has given us the answer that he's staying in the race,
32:05and we're supporting him.
32:07I agree.
32:09We can, we will unite.
32:11Our convention is still a few weeks away, but it'll be here before you know it,
32:14and you're going to see unity not just during the Democratic National Convention,
32:19but in the days that remain between now and November 5th
32:22because of the important work that we have to do on the campaign trail.
32:26I would also differ with you on this.
32:29What you're going to see from Democrats is unity.
32:31What you see from Republicans isn't unity.
32:33It's falling in line.
32:35Donald Trump has bent this political party to his will.
32:40They do not allow for dissent, and that's why you haven't heard it at the convention.
32:45Senator Kavanaugh.
32:48Thanks.
32:49Senator Padilla, we know that Chuck Schumer met with President Biden over the weekend.
32:54He said that the current election trajectory will cost Democrats the Senate,
32:58and our understanding is he's reflecting the view of your caucus.
33:02What is your understanding of how your colleagues feel?
33:05Are you hearing this concern?
33:07Look, we're Democrats, so of course there's going to be a little diversity
33:12in what folks are thinking and feeling, but I can share with you this.
33:17In my spare time and with my wife's permission,
33:20I serve as a vice chair of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.
33:24So, yes, our incumbents in some of the tougher states are facing tougher elections,
33:29but they're doing well.
33:31And I do think there is a difference between the presidential campaign, politics and strategy,
33:36and state-by-state Senate campaigns, politics and strategy.
33:40The reason Sherrod Brown has won over and over again in Ohio,
33:43the reason Jon Tester has won over and over again in Montana and others,
33:47is because they've run a dead record and put together a unique coalition of voters
33:52to get elected and reelected.
33:55So I feel good about the campaign that they're running thus far.
33:58There you go.
34:01Do you know Senator Schumer took a visit this past week to President Biden?
34:05It's been reported publicly.
34:08Representatives of President Biden met with our Senate Democratic Caucus last week
34:13and heard the diversity of views.
34:16I wish equal attention was being paid to the views of the many, many Senate Democrats
34:22who are completely supportive and actively helping the Biden-Harris ticket
34:28as the attention that's being paid for those that may be questioning
34:32or worrying that President Biden's been around the block more than once or twice.
34:37He'll hear from anybody.
34:39And so he's not just going to hear from people who are with him 100 percent
34:43and working on a daily basis.
34:45He's happy to hear from folks that may have different views, different opinions.
34:49But at the end of the day, 14 million Democratic voters have spoken through the primaries.
34:57President Biden has the committed delegates he needs to be the nominee.
35:01He is our nominee.
35:04And unless or until he suggests different, we've got work to do.
35:08And we're going to win this November.
35:15Hello.
35:16So I wanted to hear from you guys.
35:18So what do you think voters should listen from former President Trump tonight?
35:24I appreciate the question.
35:25It's pretty refreshing that we get to actually talk about what's at stake in this election.
35:30I think that Donald Trump is going to get on stage and try to write a revisionist history,
35:35one where he thinks that he is above the law,
35:38one where he doesn't think he should be held accountable for his actions.
35:41He is going to lie about his record of job creation.
35:44He's going to try to moderate his position on abortion
35:47when the fact is that he wants a nationwide abortion ban
35:50and believes that women should be punished, their doctors should be jailed,
35:54that their pregnancies should be monitored.
35:57He is not going to say Project 2025 by name.
36:00But I think if you listen to it, you are going to hear all the elements of Project 2025 come out of his mouth.
36:06He's not going to talk about wanting to eliminate governmental agencies.
36:09He's not going to talk about wanting to fill them with loyalists.
36:12But look at what this convention has been for the first three days.
36:15He is going to continue to lie to the American people.
36:18He only cares about himself.
36:20He only cares about being a would-be dictator.
36:23And I think we're going to continue to see more of the same Donald Trump
36:26that America has come to see for the past seven and a half years since he's entered the political realm.
36:31And unfortunately, it's just filled with more lies
36:33and things that are going to double down and hurt people
36:35and continue to rip away rights and freedoms from millions of Americans across this country.
36:39He's not going to double down on what a black job is.
36:42He's not going to double down on his stance on immigration
36:44and that he believes in family separation.
36:47That is who Donald Trump is.
36:48And the Republican Party has bent the knee to this would-be dictator
36:52and will continue to do anything they can to get him what he wants
36:55because it benefits him politically and they think it benefits them.
36:58But they're wrong.
36:59And our campaign is going to continue to make that case to the American people.
37:14Why are you guys, why are the Democrats spending so much time focusing on Project 2025?
37:21Well, look, I think it's important.
37:22I mean, when we talk about, you know, these sort of personal attacks,
37:27you know, we can have opinions and feelings about each other.
37:30People can, you know, have feelings about President Biden.
37:34They can have feelings about President Trump.
37:36But what Americans are focused on is what their lives are going to look like.
37:40The next president of the United States is likely going to get to appoint Supreme Court justices.
37:45Look at Trump's track record of who he has put on the court
37:48and the rights that they have taken away from Americans.
37:50The next president is going to be able to usher in continued economic growth
37:54or they're going to be able to roll it back.
37:56We believe Donald Trump is going to be able to roll it back.
37:59Any American that has not Googled Project 2025 are encouraging them to do so.
38:03We're focused on it because it is his second-term agenda.
38:06It is a plan that has been put together by people he appointed in his first term,
38:10loyalists to his campaign, people that he has in his inner circle.
38:14So we are using the facts.
38:16This is what this election is about.
38:18It is not about Joe Biden's age.
38:20It's not about Donald Trump's age, to be honest with you.
38:22It is about their vision for this country for a second term,
38:25and Project 2025 is a blueprint that Donald Trump himself has aligned
38:30and instructed people to put together for what his agenda would be,
38:33and we think that American voters deserve to know that ahead of November.
38:38Okay.
38:39We doing one more?
38:40Good.
38:42Thanks.
38:47So there have been some reports that the president is working towards
38:51a decision regarding his path forward.
38:53I just want to be clear.
38:55Is the president reevaluating his decision to stay in the race,
38:59and has the campaign seen any indications that he is less likely to win
39:04against former President Donald Trump, and if so,
39:07are advisors sharing that data with him?
39:10Look, I talk to the president every day.
39:11Like I said, he is not wavering on anything.
39:14The president has made his decision.
39:16I don't want to be rude,
39:17but I do not know how many more times we can answer that.
39:20Joe Biden has said he is running for president of the United States.
39:22Our campaign is moving forward,
39:24drawing a vision and a contrast between that of Project 2025
39:27and what we have seen for the past three days here in Milwaukee,
39:30the extreme agenda of Republicans, and that's where our focus is.
39:33There are no plans being made to replace President Biden on the ballot,
39:36and President Biden is cognizant this is a multilateral race.
39:39Folks are acting like before the debate we somehow said
39:41this was going to be a landslide victory for Democrats.
39:43We have always said this race is going to be close.
39:45We know it is a margin of error race in all the battleground states,
39:48and we're going to continue to do the work to make sure we win it.
39:50That's why our campaign is focused on opening field offices,
39:52getting volunteers, hiring battleground staff.
39:55We don't see that at all on the Republican side.
39:57So our focus in this election is very, very clear,
39:59and we have a job to do over the next several months,
40:01and I look forward to doing it.
40:02Thank you all.
40:03Mike, how is he going to compete like the president to counter Trump's message tonight?
40:08Any public videos or statements tonight from him?
40:11Well, I think you can probably expect a statement from the president,
40:14but I think that, you know, the president is countering Trump's vision every single day.
40:19I think when you take a look at the last several days,
40:21unfortunately the president got COVID, look at where he was.
40:23He was in Las Vegas talking to the NAACP.
40:26He is with core constituencies in the Democratic Party talking about it.
40:30And, again, the folks with the most at stake are supporting Joe Biden.
40:34African Americans, Latinos,
40:37we're the ones who are going to suffer the most if Donald Trump gets reelected.
40:40Women, and I don't mean to be brash or harsh about it,
40:43but I think we should take a look at the people calling for the president to step aside
40:47and the people who have the president's back.
40:49That is not what we're saying when the president is in Wisconsin,
40:51when the president is in Michigan, when the president is in Pennsylvania.
40:54We have a chance of four more years.
40:56Stay, Joe, stay.
40:58And it's because they know the president has their back and he's going to continue to do so.
41:01So President Biden's focus is very clear.
41:04Our campaign's focus is very clear.
41:05We care about voters.
41:07Voters are going to decide this election,
41:09and that's where our focus has been since the moment he announced the reelection.
41:11Thank you, guys.