[INDISTINCT CHATTER] >> WELCOME TO THIS EVENING'S DEBATE HERE IN NASHVILLE. I AM JANET BROWN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES. OVER THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, YOU WILL HEAR GROUND RULES FOR THE EVENING AND MANY EXPRESSIONS OF GRATITUDE TO THE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO GOT US HERE TONIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH THREE OF THEM, WHO ARE GENUINE CHAMPIONS OF DEBATE AND TRUE FRIENDS TO THE CPD, DR. ROBERT FISHER, THE PRESIDENT OF BEAUMONT UNIVERSITY. IT SERVED AS A BACKUP SITE IN 2016. BOB HAS MANAGED TO MAKE THIS EVENING HAPPEN IN SPITE OF A LOT OF CHALLENGES 2020 HAS BROUGHT TO THIS CAMPUS AND ALL THE OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THEY DON'T COME ANY BETTER THAN BOB AND HIS COLLEAGUES. THE SECOND IS NASHVILLE'S ON MARTIN SLUTSKY. [APPLAUSE] MARTY HAS BEEN THE CPD'S EXECUTIVE PRODUCER SINCE 2000. TONIGHT IS HIS 23RD DEBATE. WE COULD NEVER DO THIS WITHOUT MARTY. HE IS A TREASURE. THE THIRD IS OUR THIRD COCHAIR, SCOTT WRITINGS, WHO IS NOT HERE WITH US THIS EVENING. SHE HAS BEEN IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY AT HOME, BUT SHE IS HERE IN SPIRIT. SHE IS AN ASSET TO THE BOARD AND STAFF AT CPD. I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE OTHER COCHAIRS, OUR FOUNDING COCHAIR, FRANK AND KEN. >> GOOD EVENING. I JOINED JANET IN WELCOMING YOU ALL TO BEAUMONT AND TO NASHVILLE. WE OWE A GREAT DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THE CITY AND THIS UNIVERSITY. THEY HAVE BEEN SO COURTEOUS AND WORKING HARD FOR US. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE THIS IS. I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A CHANCE TO WALK AROUND AND SEE THE MARVELOUS CAMPUS. WE SEE SOME PEOPLE AROUND, PEOPLE WHO PRODUCED THIS GREAT BACKGROUND. WE HAVE OVER 60 OF THEM. WE HAVE HAD FOR DEBATES IN FOUR DIFFERENT PARTS OF THIS COUNTRY. THINKS TO UNITED AIRLINES, WHICH STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AND IS PROVIDING FREE OF CHARGE AIR SERVICE FOR OUR ENTIRE CREW BACK AND FORTH FROM ONE CITY TO ANOTHER, WE OWE UNITED AIRLINES. WE ALSO OWE ANHEUSER-BUSCH A GREAT THANK YOU NOT ONLY FOR THEIR BEER, BUT FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR THIS COMMISSION FOR MANY YEARS. IT IS A LITTLE LESS OF A LIFT NOW. NORMALLY IF WE WERE HERE WITH NORMAL TIMES, THERE WOULD BE 900 OF YOU PROBABLY IN THIS AUDIENCE. WITH CORONAVIRUS, IT WAS NECESSARY FOR US TO DO THAT. HAVE ALWAYS PROVIDED A GIANT TENT WITH FOOD TO FEED THE 5000 REPORTERS THAT COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, OUR CREW, THE NEWS PEOPLE. THEY ARE HERE WITH US THIS YEAR AGAIN, AND WE THANK THEM. TONIGHT, AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, THEY ARE PUTTING ON THE FOURTH IMMEDIATE FILING CENTER. THOSE OF YOU WHO WALK AROUND THE CAMPUS WILL SEE A GIANT TENT OUT HERE WHERE MEDIA FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE SETTING UP TABLES WATCHING THIS ON TELEVISION AND FILING THEIR STORIES. MANY, BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS, WERE NOT ABLE TO COME HERE FOR THIS. THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB HAS SET UP A NATIONAL FILING CENTER FOR IMMEDIATE FILING FOR THEM. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONTROVERSY AROUND THIS DEBATE. I WANT TO SPEND A FEW MINUTES TELLING YOU WHAT THE RULES ARE. BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME MISCONCEPTION AND MISSTATEMENT ABOUT WHAT THE RULES ARE. WE PUBLISHED IN JULY, THE RULES FOR THIS DEBATE AND THE FIRST DEBATE. THEY WERE THE SAME. 90 MINUTES WOULD BE DIVIDED IN 615 MINUTE SEGMENTS, WITH THE MODERATOR OF EACH BEING ABLE TO NAME THE SUBJECT MATTER OF EACH OF THOSE SIX SEGMENTS. THE PARTIES AGREED THAT FOR THE FIRST FOUR MINUTES OF THOSE 15 MINUTES SEGMENTS, EACH OF THEM WOULD COME OFF OR MINUTES, HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPEAK WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. -- EACH OF THEM WOULD, FOR TWO MINUTES, HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPEAK WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE RULES WERE NOT NECESSARILY FOLLOWED. SO THE COMMISSION FELT WE COULD NOT PUT IN THE NEW RULE, AND WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD DO WAS TO PUT A WAY TO ENFORCE WHAT THEY HAD AGREED TO, THE ORIGINAL ROLE, NO INTERRUPTION. YOU ARE GOING TO SAY TONIGHT, I BELIEVE THE FIRST QUESTION WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE PRESIDENT. HE WILL SPEAK FOR TWO MINUTES. THEY ARE LOOKING INTO THE CAMERAS. AT THE END OF TWO MINUTES, THE PRESIDENT WILL STOP SPEAKING, AND THEN MR. BIDEN'S MICROPHONE, WHICH HAS BEEN OFF FOR THE TWO MINUTES THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SPEAKING, WILL COME ON. THIS WILL HAPPEN AT THE START OF EACH OF THE SIX SECTIONS. THERE IS NO OTHER CENSURE OR BUTTONS THAT WILL BE PUSHED TO STOP THEM. THE REST OF THE TIME IN EACH OF THE SEGMENTS ARE FOR OPEN DEBATE. WE HOPE THEY DO IT CIVILLY AND DISCUSS THE ISSUES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE ON THE ISSUES. NOW, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DEBATE FOR EACH OF THESE CANDIDATES. THE FIRST DEBATE WEEKS AGO HAD 78 MILLION PEOPLE WATCH IT. THAT DOES NOT COUNT PEOPLE WHO WATCHED IT ON C-SPAN OR PEOPLE WHO HAD IT ON THEIR COMPUTER OR THEIR IPHONES OR IPADS. WE THINK THIS DEBATE TONIGHT COULD REACH 100 MILLION PEOPLE. YOU ARE SITTING ON STATES THAT MAKE YOU PART OF HISTORY. YOU ARE VERY FORTUNATE. THOSE AT HOME ARE TRYING TO LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT THESE CANDIDATES TO MAKE AN IMPORTANT DECISION AS TO WHO THEY ARE GOING TO SUPPORT WHEN THEY GO TO THE POLLS, IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO. IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE BY CLAPPING, BY STANDING UP, BY DOING ANYTHING THAT WOULD BRING YOU INTO THIS. SO PLEASE, DO NOT YELL, BECAUSE YOU ARE INTERFERING WITH WHAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE SEEING. THERE ALSO IS A RULE ON MASKS. YOU MUST WEAR A MASK TO COME IN, AND YOU MUST KEEP IT ON. YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PUT IT BACK ON IF YOU TAKE IT OFF, AND IF YOU DO NOT, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE. IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE, YOU WILL BE ESCORTED TO LEAVE. IT WILL BE AN EMBARRASSMENT AND TAKE TIME AWAY FROM THE IMPORTANT THINGS GOING ON TODAY. AT EXACTLY 8:00, YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR A LOT OF NOISE. IF YOU TURN AROUND AND LOOK BEHIND YOU, THOSE ARE THE MAJOR NETWORKS. AT EXACTLY 8:00, THEY ARE ALL GOING TO GO ON AT THE MAJOR TIME, YOU WILL HEAR A LOT OF VOICES YOU WILL RECORD IS FROM DIFFERENT NETWORKS. -- YOU WILL RECOGNIZE FROM DIFFERENT NETWORKS. THEY WILL SETTLE DOWN. WITH THAT, LET ME INTRODUCE MY COCHAIRMAN, KEN. >> GOOD EVENING. I JOIN FRANK, JANET, AND FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, INCLUDING IVANKA AND JOHN GRIFFIN, WHO WERE WITH US TONIGHT, IN WELCOMING YOU TO THE 24TH PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, SPONSORED AND ORGANIZED BY THE COMMISSION, THE SECOND HOSTED BY BEAUMONT UNIVERSITY. I AM PROUD TO WORK ALONGSIDE DEDICATED BODMER -- DEDICATED BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE BUILT A NONPARTISAN INSTITUTION SINCE THE COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1987. OUR SOLE MISSION CONTINUES TO BE THE HOLDING OF DEBATES THAT SERVE AND INFORM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. SPARE ME A MOMENT TO EXPLAIN THE COMMISSION'S EFFORTS. DEBATES HAVE EVOLVED OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES -- MORE TRANSPARENT CRITERIA FOR QUALIFICATIONS OF PARTICIPANTS, THE TREND TOWARD A SINGLE MODERATOR, IN ORDER TO FOCUS GREATER ATTENTION ON THE CANDIDATES, AND THE ALLOCATION OF TIME FOR DIFFERENT SUBJECT AREAS ARE BUT A FEW OF THE MANY CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE. MANY OF THE DETAILS FOR ORGANIZING THE DEBATE ARE LEFT TO AGREEMENT BY THE CANDIDATES THEMSELVES. THE COMMISSION HAS SELECTED THE TIMES AND PLACES FOR DEBATE. THE MODERATORS AND THE DEBATE FORMATS. BASED ON EXPERIENCE, THESE ARE ISSUES THAT REFLECT THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE CANDIDATES' CAMPAIGNS, NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO RESOLVE IN A TIMELY MANNER. IN FACT, IT WAS PROTECTED AND NEGOTIABLE SHE -- NEGOTIATIONS THAT LED TO THE COMMISSION ITSELF. WHILE THERE IS ALWAYS DRAMA EVERY FOUR YEARS, AND THIS YEAR IS NO EXCEPTION, THE PROCESS HAS WORKED. POST--DEBATE RESEARCH SHOWS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE CONSIDERED THESE DEBATES AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR POLITICAL PROCESS. DEBATES HAVE ALSO CREATED CIVIC EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HOSTED THE. -- HOSTED THEM. BEAUMONT UNIVERSITY HAS LAUNCHED THE DEBATE PROGRAMMING THEORY THAT EXPLORES ISSUES RANGING FROM DEMOCRACY TO SOCIAL MEDIA. THE COMMISSION HAS AUGMENTED THESE EFFORTS BY LAUNCHING DEBATE WATCH, WHICH ALLOWS PARTICIPANTS IN ALL 50 STATES AND PUERTO RICO TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON ISSUES RAISED IN DEBATES AND LISTEN RESPECTFULLY TO EACH OTHERS'OPINIONS. DEBATE WATCH 2020 WILL INCLUDE MORE THAN ONE MILLION PARTICIPANTS. OVERSEAS, THE COMMISSION, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE, HAS HELPED ORGANIZE MORE THAN 400 CANDIDATE DEBATES IN 45 COUNTRIES. MOST IMPORTANTLY, IN NEW AND EMERGING DEMOCRACIES. THIS INITIATIVE HAS LED TO THE FORMATION OF DEBATES INTERNATIONAL, SUPPORT NETWORK OF DEBATE ORGANIZERS FOR NEARLY 40 COUNTRIES. I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE COMMISSION'S LONGEST STANDING SUPPORTER, FOR THE PAST 32 YEARS, THE JUDY AND PETER BLUM -- JUDY AND PETER BLUM COLBERT FOUNDATION. WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION TO THIS YEAR'S DEBATE. NOW IT IS MY DISTINCT HONOR TO INTRODUCE THE PRESIDENT OF BEAUMONT UNIVERSITY, BOB FISHER. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT TO CELEBRATE AMERICA. BUT IF YOU ARE BEAUMONT, IT IS IN IT TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE AND THANKFULNESS FOR ALL THAT'S BEEN DONE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN. I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSION FOR THEIR SUPPORT, JANET BROWN, THE COCHAIRS, THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT IS ONE THING TO BE A PARTNER WHEN TIMES ARE EASY. IT'S AMAZING, WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH, THAT IS ONE REAL PARTNERSHIPS ARE BORN AND STICK. THIS HAS BEEN A BONDING EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT THE COMMISSION, TO HCA HEALTH CARE, THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE GIVEN YOU ALL THESE TESTS AND MADE SURE EVERYBODY HERE TONIGHT IS SAFE. THEIR GOAL WAS TO MAKE THIS THE SAFEST PLACE IN AMERICA TONIGHT, ALONG WITH THE SECRET SERVICE, WHO I ALSO WANT TO THANK, AND METRO POLICE. ALTOGETHER, IT MADE THIS THE SAFEST PLACE IN AMERICA TONIGHT. I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THE. -- FOR THAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR, GOVERNOR, FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION. TO THE NATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ALL OF YOU. MOST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO SAY A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO THE STUDENTS OF BEAUMONT UNIVERSITY. FOR SHARING THEIR CAMPUS WITH YOU, ALL OF YOU THIS WEEK. THIS HAS BEEN A COMPLICATED AND UNUSUAL SEMESTER, TO SAY THE LEAST. I WANT TO THINK THE ROMAN HOSPITALITY CORPORATION FOR TAKING SEVERAL HUNDRED OF OUR STUDENTS AND REHOMING THEM. THEY DON'T WANT TO COME BACK. THEY HAVE A WATER PARK OUT THERE. WE ARE GOING TO GET THEM BACK. OUR STUDENTS HAVE EMBRACED THE CHALLENGE OF LIVING SAFELY TOGETHER. WE SIMPLY COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT THEM. YOU ARE PROBABLY WONDERING WHO THESE TWO PEOPLE ARE THAT ARE STANDING HERE BESIDE ME. THIS IS MOLLY AND TURNER. THEY COCHAIRED THE STUDENT GROUP FOR 250 STUDENTS WHO MADE THIS THING HAPPEN HERE AT BEAUMONT UNIVERSITY. I'M SO GRATEFUL TO THEM. THANK YOU AND THANK ALL THE BEAUMONT VOLUNTEERS FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE HERE. FINALLY, I HAVE PRAYED ENOUGH ABOUT THIS HAPPENING, THAT IT BE TOTALLY DISINGENUOUS IF I DIDN'T SAY THANK YOU, GOD, THAT THIS IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. GOD BLESS AMERICA. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] [INDISTINCT CHATTER] [CAMERAS SHUTTERING] [INDISTINCT CHATTER] [CAMERAS SHUTTERING] >> THE MODERATOR FOR TAX DEBATE IS KRISTEN WELKER OF NBC NEWS. [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. IT'S BEEN SUCH AN HONOR FOR ME TO MODERATE THIS DEBATE TONIGHT, THE FINAL DEBATE. I WANT TO WELCOME THE FIRST FAMILY AND FIRST LADY. WE ARE THANKFUL YOU ARE FEELING BETTER. I WANT TO WELCOME THE BIDEN FAMILY, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. WE ARE SO EXCITED. WE ARE LOOKING TO A REALLY ROBUST DISCUSSION -- LOOKING FORWARD TO A REALLY ROBUST DISCUSSION. WHEN THE CANDIDATES ARE TALKING, PLEASE HOLD ANY APPLAUSE OR OTHER REACTION, EXCEPT OF COURSE, WHEN THEY WALK OUT. MAC SURE YOU CHEER LOUD AND APPLAUD SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU. THE THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. THIS IS THE HONOR OF A LIFETIME. I'M GOING TO ORGANIZE AND SETTLED, AND THE SHOW WILL START VERY SOON. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. -- TO GET ORGANIZED AND SETTLED, AND THE SHOW WILL START VERY SOON. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. [INDISTINCT CHATTER] [CAMERAS SHUTTERING] MS. WELKER: GOOD EVENING FROM BELMONT UNIVERSITY IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. I AM KRISTEN WELKER, AND I WELCOME YOU TO THE 2020 RESIDENTIAL DEBATE BETWEEN PRESIDENT TRUMP AND FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN. NICE DEBATE IS SPONSORED BY THE COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES, AND CONDUCTED UNDER HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS. THE AUDIENCE IN THE HALL HAS PROMISED TO REMAIN SILENT. NO CHEERS, BOOS, OR OTHER INTERRUPTIONS -- EXCEPT FOR RIGHT NOW AS WE WELCOME TO THE STAGE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, AND PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP. [APPLAUSE] MS. WELKER: I WANT TO SAY GOOD EVENING TO BOTH OF YOU. THIS WILL COVER SIX MAJOR TOPICS. AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SECTION, EACH CANDIDATE WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO ANSWER WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. THE DEBATE WILL TURN ON YOUR MICROPHONE ONLY WHEN IT IS YOUR TIME TO ANSWER, AND TURN IT OFF EXACTLY WHEN TWO MINUTES EXPIRE. AFTER THAT, BOTH MICROPHONES WILL REMAIN ON, BUT PLEASE SPEAK ONE AT A TIME. THE GOAL IS TO HEAR EACH OTHER SO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN HEAR EVERY WORD OF WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. IF YOU ARE READY, LET'S START. WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS. PRESIDENT TRUMP, THE FIRST QUESTION IS TO YOU. THE COUNTRY IS HEADING INTO A DANGEROUS NEW PHASE, MORE THAN 40,000 AMERICANS ARE IN THE HOSPITAL TONIGHT WITH COVID, INCLUDING RECORD NUMBERS IN TENNESSEE. SINCE YOU LAST SHARED A STAGE, 16,000 AMERICANS HAVE DIED. PLEASE BE SPECIFIC, HOW WOULD YOU LEAD THE COUNTRY DURING THIS NEXT STAGE OF THE CORONAVIRUS? PRES. TRUMP: AS YOU KNOW, 2.2 MILLION PEOPLE WERE EXPECTED TO DIED. WE CLOSED THE GREATEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD TO FIGHT THIS HORRIBLE DISEASE THAT CAME FROM CHINA. IT IS A WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC, ALL OVER THE WORLD, YOU SEE SPIKES IN EUROPE AND OTHER PLACES NOW. THE MORTALITY RATE IS DOWN, 85%. THE EXCESS MORTALITY RATE IS WAY DOWN AND LOWER THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY. WE ARE FIGHTING IT HARD. THERE IS A SPIKE, THERE WAS A SPIKE IN FLORIDA THAT IS GONE. THERE WAS A SPIKE IN TEXAS THAT IS GONE. THERE WAS A SPIKE IN ARIZONA, IT IS GONE. THERE WERE SPIKES IN OTHER PLACES THAT WILL SOON BE GONE. WE HAVE A VACCINE THAT IS READY AND IT WILL BE ANNOUNCED WITHIN WEEKS AND IT WILL BE DELIVERED. WE HAVE OPERATION WARP SPEED, THE MILITARY WILL DISTRIBUTE THE VACCINE. FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, I HAD IT, I GOT BETTER. I HAD SOMETHING THAT THEY GAVE ME, A THERAPEUTIC THEY WOULD CALL IT -- SOME WOULD SAY IT IS A CURE -- I GOT BETTER VERY FAST, OR I WOULD NOT BE HERE TONIGHT. THEY SAY I'M IMMUNE, WHETHER IT IS FOUR MONTHS OR A LIFETIME, I'M IMMUNE. MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING BETTER. WE HAVE A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM. THIS IS A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN CONGRATULATED BY MANY COUNTRIES ON WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO. IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN TERMS OF GOGGLES, MASKS, GALLONS, EVERYTHING ELSE, -- GOWNS, EVERYTHING ELSE. WE ARE MAKING VENTILATORS AND DISTRIBUTING THEM ALL OVER THE WORLD. IT WILL GO AWAY. WE ARE ROUNDING THE TURN, WE ARE ROUNDING THE CORNER. MS. WELKER: FORMER VICE PRESIDENT, HOW WOULD YOU LEAD THE COUNTRY OUT OF THIS CRISIS. MR. BIDEN: 220,000 AMERICANS DEAD. ANYONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT TAKING CONTROL. NOT SAYING, I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY INITIALLY. ANYBODY WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT MANY DEATHS SHOULD NOT REMAIN PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF THE AMERICA. WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE THERE ARE A THOUSAND DEATHS A DAY, A THOUSAND DEATHS A DAY. OVER 70,000 NEW CASES PER DAY. COMPARED TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN EUROPE, AS THE NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL JOURNAL SAID, THEY ARE STARTING FROM A LOW RATE, WE ARE STARTING FROM A HIGH RATE. THE EXPECTATION IS WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER 200,000 AMERICANS DEAD BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR. IF WE JUST WORE THESE MASKS, THE PRESIDENT'S ADVISERS TOLD HIM, WE COULD SAVE 100,000 LIVES. WE ARE IN A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE THE PRESIDENT STILL HAS NO PLAN. NO COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. I WOULD MAKE SURE WE HAVE EVERYONE ENCOURAGED TO WEAR A MASK ALL THE TIME, MAKE SURE WE MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF RAPID TESTING, AND INVEST IN RAPID TESTING. I WOULD MAKE SURE WE SET UP NATIONAL STANDARDS HOW TO OPEN SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES SO THEY CAN BE SAFE. WE ARE IN A SITUATION NOW WHERE THE NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL JOURNAL, ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS JOURNALS IN THE WORLD SAID FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THAT THE WAY THIS PRESIDENT HAS RESPONDED TO THIS CRISIS HAS BEEN TRAGIC. I WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS AND END THIS, I WILL MAKE SURE WE HAVE A PLAN. MS. WELKER: PRESIDENT TRUMP, I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON YOUR COMMENTS. YOU TALKED ABOUT A THERAPEUTIC, YOU ALSO SAID A VACCINE IS COMING WITHIN WEEKS. IS THAT A GUARANTEE? PRES. TRUMP: NO, IT IS NOT A GUARANTEE, BUT IT HAS A GOOD CHANCE. TWO COMPANIES WITHIN A MATTER OF WEEKS. MS. WELKER: WHICH COMPANIES? PRES. TRUMP: JOHNSON & JOHNSON IS DOING VERY WELL, DURING HER IS DOING WELL -- MODERNA IS DOING WELL. WE HAVE OTHERS WORKING WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY EUROPE. MS. WELKER: THIS IS NEW INFORMATION. YOU SAY A VACCINE IS COMING WITHIN WEEKS, YOUR OFFICIALS SAY IT COULD TAKE WELL INTO 2021, AND THEN THEY SAY THE COUNTRY WILL BE WEARING MASKS INTO 2022. IS YOUR TIMELINE REALISTIC? PRES. TRUMP: NO, I THINK MY TIMELINE IS MORE ACCURATE. I DON'T INC. THEY COUNT ON THE MILITARY AS I DO, WE HAVE A GENERAL WHO IS HEAD OF LOGISTICS. THIS IS AN EASY DISTRIBUTION. WE EXPECT TO HAVE A VACCINE AND 100 MILLION VIALS. MS. WELKER: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, YOUR REACTION. IF A VACCINE WAS APPROVED, WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO GIVE AMERICANS CONFIDENCE IN A VACCINE IF APPROVED? MR. BIDEN: MAKE SURE IT IS TOTALLY TRANSPARENT. SCIENTISTS WILL SEE YET, GO THROUGH THE PROCESSES. THIS IS THE SAME FELLOW WHO TOLD US IT WOULD END BY EASTER, WHO TOLD YOU DON'T WORRY, WE WILL END THIS FIVE SUMMER. WE ARE ABOUT TO GO THROUGH A DARK WINTER, AND HE HAS NO CLEAR PLAN AND NO PROSPECT THAT THERE WILL BE A VACCINE AVAILABLE FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR. MS. WELKER: YOUR REACTION? PRES. TRUMP: I DON'T THINK WE WILL HAVE A DARK WINTER. WE HAVE OPENED THE COUNTRY, WE LEARNED AND UNDERSTAND THE DISEASE. WHEN I CLOSED AND BANNED CHINA, AND ULTIMATELY EUROPE, CHINA WAS IN JANUARY -- MONTHS LATER HE SAID I WAS XENOPHOBIC, NOW HE IS SAYING I SHOULD HAVE MOVED QUICKER. HE DID NOT MOVE QUICKER. HE WAS MANY MONTHS BEHIND ME. HE RAN THE H1N1 SWINE FLUKE, AND IT WAS A DISASTER. HAD THAT THIS KIND OF NUMBERS, 700,000 PEOPLE WOULD BE DEAD NOW. IT WAS A FAR LESS LETHAL DISEASE. HIS OWN PERSON WHO RAN THAT FOR HIM, AS YOU KNOW WAS HIS CHIEF OF STAFF, SAID IT WAS CATASTROPHIC, HORRIBLE, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING. NOW HE TELLS US HOW TO DO THIS. EVERYTHING HE SAID ABOUT EVERY MOVE THAT WE SHOULD MAKE, THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE DONE. HE WAS WAY BEHIND US. MR. BIDEN: MY RESPONSE IS HE IS XENOPHOBIC BUT NOT BECAUSE HE SHUT ACCESS FROM CHINA -- AND HE DID IT AFTER 40 COUNTRIES HAD DONE THAT. HE MADE SURE WE HAD 44 PEOPLE IN CHINA TRYING TO GET TO WUHAN TO DETERMINE WHAT EXACTLY THE SOURCE WAS -- WHAT DID HE SAY IN JANUARY? HE SAID, NO. HE SAID THE PRESIDENT OF CHINA IS BEING TRANSPARENT AND WE OWE A DEBT OF GRATITUDE. THEN HE STARTED TALKING ABOUT USING THE DEFENSE ACT TO GET WHAT WE NEED TO PROTECT PEOPLE. HE HAD -- NOTHING HE DID, VIRTUALLY NOTHING -- THEN HE GETS OUT OF THE HOSPITAL AND SAYS DON'T WORRY, IT WILL BE OVER SOON. COME ON, THERE IS NOT ANOTHER SERIOUS SCIENTIST IN THE WORLD WHO THINKS IT WILL BE OVER SOON. MS. WELKER: I SAID WE ARE -- PRES. TRUMP: WE CANNOT LOCK OURSELVES IN A BASEMENT LIKE JOE DOES. HE HAS THE ABILITY TO LOCK HIMSELF UP -- HE MADE A LOT OF MONEY SOMEPLACE. HE HAS THIS THING ABOUT LIVING IN A BASEMENT. I, AS THE PRESIDENT, COULD NOT DO THAT. I WOULD LOVE TO PUT MYSELF IN A BASEMENT AND GO AWAY FOR A YEAR AND A HALF -- I CAN'T DO THAT. EVERY MEETING I HAVE, AND I MEET A LOT OF FAMILIES INCLUDING GOLD STAR FAMILIES -- EVERY MEETING -- AND I HAD TO MEET THEM -- IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HORRIBLE TO CANCEL -- I SAID THIS IS DANGEROUS. YOU CATCH IT. I CAUGHT IT. I LEARNED A LOT. GREAT HOSPITALS. NOW I RECOVERED. 99.9 OF YOUNG PEOPLE RECOVERED. 99% OF PEOPLE RECOVER. WE HAVE TO RECOVER. WE CANNOT CLOSE OUR NATION. WE HAVE TO OPEN SCHOOLS, WE CANNOT CLOSE OUR NATION. MS. WELKER: THE CDC HAS SAID YOUNG PEOPLE CAN GET SICK AND PASS IT. VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT STRATEGY. MR. BIDEN: MAY I RESPOND TO THAT? MS. WELKER: 30 SECONDS. MR. BIDEN: HE SAYS WE ARE LEARNING TO LIVE WITH IT -- PEOPLE ARE DYING WITH IT. YOU FOLKS WHO HAVE AN EMPTY CHAIR AT THE KITCHEN TABLE, THAT MAN OR WOMAN REACHING OVER WHERE THEIR WIFE OR HUSBAND WAS IS GONE -- LEARNING TO LIVE WITH IT? COME ON, WE ARE DYING WITH IT. WHEN IS THE LAST TIME -- IS IT REALLY DANGEROUS? WILL YOU TELL THE PEOPLE IT IS DANGEROUS NOW? WHAT SHOULD WE DO ABOUT THE DANGER QUESTION MARK YOU SAY, I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY. MS. WELKER: EXCUSE ME -- PRES. TRUMP: EXCUSE ME, IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT IT CAME HERE. IT IS NOT JOE'S FAULT, IT IS CHINA'S FAULT. THEY KEPT IT FROM GOING INTO THE REST OF CHINA BUT NOT COMING OUT TO THE WORLD, INCLUDING EUROPE AND OURSELVES. MR. BIDEN: THE FACT IS WHEN WE KNEW IT WAS COMING, WHEN IT HIT, WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT SAY? HE SAID, DON'T WORRY, IT WILL GO AWAY, IT WILL BE GONE BY EASTER, THE WARM WEATHER. HE SAID HE WAS KIDDING, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK HE WAS SERIOUS. A WHOLE RANGE OF WHAT HE HAS SAID, HE THINKS WE ARE IN CONTROL. WE ARE ABOUT TO LOSE 200,000 MORE PEOPLE. MS. WELKER: PRESIDENT TRUMP. PRES. TRUMP: I WAS KIDDING ON THAT. TO FINISH THIS, WHEN I CLOSED, HE SAID I SHOULD NOT HAVE CLOSED, AND THAT WENT ON FOR MONTHS. NANCY PELOSI WAS DANCING IN THE STREETS IN CHINATOWN IN SAN FRANCISCO. HE SAID THIS IS A TERRIBLE THING, YOU ARE A XENOPHOBE, I THINK HE CALLED ME RACIST. NOW HE SAYS I SHOULD HAVE CLOSED IT EARLIER. MR. BIDEN: I DID NOT SAY EITHER OF THOSE THINGS. I TALKED ABOUT HIS XENOPHOBIA IN A DIFFERENT CONTEXT, NOT ABOUT CLOSING THE BORDER TO CHINESE COMING TO THE UNITED STATES. MS. WELKER: I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENT STRATEGIES. PRES. TRUMP: HE THOUGHT I SHOULD NOT HAVE CLOSED THE BORDER. MS. WELKER: LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TOWARDS DEALING WITH THIS. YOU SAID YOU WOULD SUPPORT SHUTDOWNS IF SCIENTISTS RECOMMENDED IT. WHAT YOU SAY TO AMERICANS WHO FEAR THE COST ON THE ECONOMY, DEPRESSION, DOMESTIC SUBSTANCE ABUSE OUTWEIGHS EXPOSURE TO THE VIRUS? MR. BIDEN: I WOULD SAY I WILL SHUT DOWN THE VIRUS AND NOT THE COUNTRY. IT IS HIS INEPTITUDE TO SHUT DOWN IN LARGE PART, WHY BUSINESSES HAVE GONE UNDER, SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVING, THOSE CONCERNS ARE REAL. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED INSTEAD OF IN A SAND TRAP IN HIS GOLF COURSE. MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE THE CAPACITY. MS. WELKER: YOU HAVE NOT RULED OUT MORE SHUTDOWNS? MR. BIDEN: NO. WE NEED STANDARDS. THE STANDARD IS IF YOU HAVE A REPRODUCTION RATE IN A COMMUNITY ABOVE A CERTAIN LEVEL, EVERYBODY SAYS SLOW UP. MORE SOCIAL DISTANCING. DO NOT OPEN BARS AND GYMNASIUMS, DO NOT OPEN UNTIL YOU GET THIS UNDER MORE CONTROL. WHEN YOU DO OPEN, GIVE PEOPLE THE CAPACITY TO OPEN, AND DO IT SAFELY. SCHOOLS NEED A LOT OF MONEY, THEY NEED TO DEAL WITH VENTILATION SYSTEMS AND SMALLER CLASSES, MORE TEACHERS. HE HAS REFUSED TO SUPPORT THAT MONEY -- UP UNTIL NOW. PRES. TRUMP: I HAVE TO RESPOND. ALL HE DOES IS TALK ABOUT SHUTDOWNS. FORGET ABOUT HIM, HIS DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS, CUOMO IN NEW YORK, LOOK AT CALIFORNIA, PENNSYLVANIA, NORTH CAROLINA, DEMOCRATS HAVE SHUT DOWN SO TIGHT -- AND THEY ARE DYING. HE SUPPORTS ALL THESE PEOPLE READ ALL HE TALKS ABOUT IS SHUTDOWNS. WE WILL NOT SHUT DOWN. WE HAVE TO OPEN OUR SCHOOLS. I HAVE A YOUNG SON WHO ALSO TESTED POSITIVE. BY THE TIME I SPOKE TO THE DOCTOR, HE WAS FINE -- IT WENT AWAY. YOUNG PEOPLE, THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM. MS. WELKER: YOU HAVE DEMANDED SCHOOLS OPEN IN PERSON, BUT YESTERDAY BOSTON BECAME THE LATEST CITY TO MOVE ITS PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ENTIRELY ONLINE AFTER A CORONAVIRUS SPIKE. WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO PARENTS WHO WERE A SENDING KIDS TO SCHOOL WILL ENDANGER THEM? PRES. TRUMP: I WANT TO OPEN THE SCHOOLS, THE TRANSMITTAL RATE TO TEACHERS IS SMALL. I WANT TO OPEN THE SCHOOLS AND OUR COUNTRY. HE WILL NOT HAVE A COUNTRY. WE CANNOT KEEP THIS COUNTRY CLOSED. THIS IS A MASSIVE COUNTRY WITH A MASSIVE ECONOMY. PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS, COMMITTING SUICIDE, DEPRESSION, ALCOHOL, DRUGS AT A LEVEL NOBODY HAS SEEN BEFORE. TREMENDOUS ABUSE. WE HAVE TO OPEN OUR COUNTRY. THE CURE CANNOT BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING, AND HE WILL CLOSE DOWN THE COUNTRY IF ONE PERSON IN OUR MASSIVE BUREAUCRACY SAYS WE SHOULD CLOSE IT DOWN. MR. BIDEN: SIMPLY NOT TRUE. WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO WALK AND TO GUM AT THE SAME TIME. WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO SAFELY OPEN, BUT YOU NEED RESOURCES TO OPEN. IF YOU ARE GOING TO OPEN A BUSINESS, YOU NEED SOCIAL DISTANCING. IF YOU HAVE A RESTAURANT, YOU NEED PLEXIGLAS DIVIDERS SO PEOPLE CANNOT INFECT ONE ANOTHER. YOU NEED TO BE IN A POSITION TO TAKE TESTING RAPIDLY AND KNOW IF A PERSON IS IN FACT INFECTED. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRACE AND DIVIDE RESOURCES TO DO THIS. THAT IS NOT INCONSISTENT WITH SAYING WE WILL MAKE SURE WE OPEN SAFELY. ALL THE TEACHERS OUT THERE, NOT MANY OF YOU WILL DIE, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT -- COME ON. PRES. TRUMP: IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO NEW YORK, IT IS A GHOST TOWN. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PLEXIGLAS, THESE ARE RESTAURANTS THAT ARE DYING, BUSINESSES WITH NO MONEY. PUTTING UP PLEXIGLAS IS UNBELIEVABLY EXPENSIVE, AND NOT THE ANSWER. YOU ARE GOING TO SIT THERE IN A CUBICLE WRAPPED IN PLASTIC -- THESE BUSINESSES ARE DYING. YOU CANNOT DO THAT TO PEOPLE. LOOK AT NEW YORK AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY WONDERFUL CITY -- I LOVED IT -- IT IS DYING. EVERYONE IS LEAVING NEW YORK. MR. BIDEN: TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT NEW YORK HAS DONE IN TURNING THE CURVE DOWN IN TERMS OF PEOPLE DYING. I DO NOT LOOK AT THIS AS BLUE STATES AND RED STATES, WE ARE THE UNITED STATES. LOOK AT THE STATES HAVING A SPIKE, THEY ARE THE RED STATES, THUS STATES IN THE MIDWEST, IN THE UPPER MIDWEST -- THAT IS WHERE THE SPIKE IS OCCURRING SIGNIFICANTLY. THEY ARE ALL AMERICANS, AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS SAY WEAR THESE MASKS AND GET HELP THAT BUSINESSES NEED. MONEY HAS ALREADY BEEN PASSED TO DO THAT, IT HAS BEEN OUT THERE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER, AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. MS. WELKER: NEW YORK -- PRES. TRUMP: NEW YORK HAS LOST 11,000 PEOPLE. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN PENNSYLVANIA, WHERE THEY HAVE HAD IT CLOSED. LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH YOUR FRIEND IN MICHIGAN WHERE HER HUSBAND IS THE ONLY ONE ALLOWED TO DO ANYTHING -- IT IS LIKE A PRISON. IT WAS RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL. LOOK AT NORTH CAROLINA, THEY HAVE SPIKES AND THEY HAVE BEEN CLOSED, THEY ARE GETTING KILLED FINANCIALLY. WE CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN. WE HAVE TO OPEN UP. WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR SENIORS AND ELDERLY, WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR SENIORS WITH HEART PROBLEMS AND DIABETES PROBLEMS. WE HAVE THE BEST TESTING IN THE WORLD BY FAR -- THAT IS WHY WE HAVE SO MANY CASES. MS. WELKER: LET ME FOLLOW-UP, YOU CALLED DR. FAUCI, THE BEST KNOWN INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT, A DISASTER. YOU DESCRIBED MEDICAL EXPERTS AS IDIOTS. IF YOU ARE NOT LISTENING THEM, WHO WERE YOU LISTENING TO? PRES. TRUMP: I LISTEN TO ALL OF THEM, INCLUDING ANTHONY, BUT HE DID SAY DO NOT WEAR A MASK. HE DID SAY THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A PROBLEM. I THINK HE IS A DEMOCRAT, BUT THAT IS OK. WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM AT ALL. WHEN JOE SAYS THAT I SAID -- DR. FAUCI SAID -- AND OTHERS -- I AM NOT KNOCKING THEM. NOBODY KNEW WHAT THIS WAS OR WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT. ANTHONY SAID DO NOT WEAR A MASK, NOW HE SAYS TO WEAR A MASK. HIS EXACT WORDS, THIS IS NO PROBLEM, IT WILL GO AWAY SOON. HE IS ALLOWED TO MAKE MISTAKES. HE IS A GOOD PERSON. MR. BIDEN: MY RESPONSE, THINK ABOUT WHAT THE PRESIDENT KNEW IN JANUARY AND DID NOT TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. HE WAS TOLD THIS WAS A SERIOUS VIRUS SPREAD IN THE AIR, AND MUCH WORSE THAN THE FLU. HE WENT ON RECORD AND SAID TO ONE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES, RECORDED , THAT HE KNEW HOW DANGEROUS IT WAS BUT HE DID NOT WANT TO TELL US BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT US TO PANIC. AMERICANS DO NOT PANIC. HE PANICKED. IN THE MEANTIME, WE FIND OUT IN THE NEW YORK TIMES THAT HIS FOLKS WENT TO WALL STREET AND SAID THIS IS DANGEROUS -- AND A MEMO OUT OF THAT MEETING, NOT FROM HIS ADMINISTRATION, BUT FROM BROKERS SAID TO SELL SHORT. MS. WELKER: I WILL GIVE YOU 30 SECONDS TO RESPOND. PRES. TRUMP: YOU ARE THE ONE WHO TAKES ALL THE MONEY FROM WALL STREET. YOU HAVE RAISED A LOT OF MONEY, TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY, AND EVERY TIME YOU MAKE MONEY, DEALS ARE MADE. I COULD MAKE SO MUCH MORE MONEY, I COULD CALL THE HEADS OF WALL STREET, OF EVERY COMPANY IN AMERICA, I WOULD BLOW AWAY EVERY RECORD. THAT PUTS ME IN A BAD POSITION. YOU SHOULD NOT BRING UP WALL STREET. YOU TAKE MONEY FROM WALL STREET. I COULD BLOW AWAY YOUR RECORDS LIKE YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE. WE HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY. WE BEAT HILLARY CLINTON WITH A TINY FRACTION OF THE MONEY. MS. WELKER: WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SESSION, NATIONAL SECURITY. I WANT TO START WITH THE SECURITY OF ELECTIONS AND BREAKING NEWS OVERNIGHT. INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS CONFIRMED RUSSIA AND IRAN ARE WORKING TO INFLUENCE THIS ELECTION. THEY HAVE OBTAINED VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION. IRAN SENT INTIMIDATING MESSAGES TO FLORIDA VOTERS. MR. VICE PRESIDENT, WHAT WOULD YOU DO PUT AN END TO THIS THREAT? MR. BIDEN: I MADE IT CLEAR THAT ANY COUNTRY, NO MATTER WHO, IF THEY INTERFERE WITH AMERICAN ELECTIONS, THEY WILL PAY A PRICE. IT HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY CLEAR THIS ELECTION THAT RUSSIA HAS BEEN INVOLVED, CHINA HAS BEEN INVOLVED, AND NOW WE LEARN THAT IRAN IS INVOLVED. THEY WILL PAY A PRICE IF I AM ELECTED. INTERFERING WITH AMERICAN SOVEREIGNTY, THAT IS WHAT IS GOING ON. AMERICAN SOVEREIGNTY. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THE PRESIDENT HAS NOT SAID ANYTHING TO PUTIN A LOT. I DO NOT KNOW WHY HE HAS NOT SAID A WORD TO PUTIN ABOUT IT. MY GUESS IS HE WOULD BE MORE OUTSPOKEN WITH REGARD TO THE IRANIANS. THE POINT IS THIS, WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE FOREIGN COUNTRIES TRYING TO INTERFERE IN THE OUTCOME OF OUR ELECTION. HIS OWN NOTIONAL SECURITY VISOR TOLD HIM WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH HIS BUDDY -- HIS BUDDY, RUDY GIULIANI -- HE IS BEING USED AS A RUSSIAN PAWN, FED INFORMATION THAT IS NOT TRUE. THEN WHAT HAPPENS, NOTHING. THEN YOU FIND OUT EVERYTHING GOING ON ABOUT RUSSIA IS WANTING TO MAKE SURE I DO NOT GET ELECTED AS THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT I KNOW THEM, AND THEY KNOW ME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS PRESIDENT IS UNABLE TO TAKE ON PUTING WHEN HE IS PAYING BOUNTIES TO KILL AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN AFGHANISTAN. I DO NOT KNOW WHY HE DOES NOT DO IT. IT IS WORTH ASKING THE QUESTION, WHY ISN'T THAT BEING DONE? ANY COUNTRY THAT INTERFERES WILL PAY A PRICE, BECAUSE THEY ARE AFFECTING OUR SOVEREIGNTY. MS. WELKER: PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAME QUESTION TO YOU. FOR TWO ELECTIONS IN A ROW THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL INTERFERENCE BY FOREIGN ADVERSARIES. PRES. TRUMP: LET ME RESPOND TO THE FIRST PART. JOE GOT 3.5 MILLION DOLLARS FROM RUSSIA THAT CAME THROUGH PUTIN BECAUSE HE WAS FRIENDLY WITH THE MAYOR OF MOSCOW, AND IT WAS HIS WIFE. $3.5 MILLION, AND SOMEDAY YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY. I NEVER GOT ANY MONEY FROM RUSSIA. ABOUT YOUR THING LAST NIGHT, I KNEW ABOUT THAT. THROUGH JOHN, WHO IS FANTASTIC, ONE THING THAT IS COMMON TO BOTH OF THEM, THEY WANT YOU TO LOSE, BECAUSE THERE IS NOBODY TOUGHER ON RUSSIA. NOBODY TOUGHER THAN ME ON RUSSIA BETWEEN THE SANCTIONS, BETWEEN ALL OF WHAT I HAVE DONE WITH NATO -- I GOT NATO TO PUT UP AN EXTRA 130 BILLION GOING TO $420 BILLION A YEAR AGAINST RUSSIA. WHILE HE WAS SELLING PILLOWS AND SHEETS, I SOLD TANK BUSTERS TO UKRAINE. THERE IS NOBODY TOUGHER ON RUSSIA THAN DONALD TRUMP. THEY WERE SO BAD, THEY TOOK OVER THE SUBMARINE PORT -- YOU REMEMBER THAT WELL, DURING YOUR TERM, YOU AND BARACK OBAMA, THEY TOOK OVER A BIG PART OF WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN UKRAINE. RUSSIA WAS PAYING YOU A LOT OF MONEY, AND THEY PROBABLY STILL ARE. WHAT CAME OUT TODAY IS WORSE, ALL OF THE EMAILS, THE HORRIBLE EMAILS OF THE MONEY YOU WERE RAKING INCOME I YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. YOU WERE VICE RESIDENT WHEN SOME OF THIS WAS HAPPENING. IT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. I THINK YOU OPEN EXPLANATION TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WHY IS IT -- SOMEONE HAD A NEWS CONFERENCE NOT LONG AGO, AND WHAT HE SAID WASN'T DAMMING. I THINK YOU HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP AND TALK TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. MAYBE YOU CAN DO IT RIGHT NOW. >> -- WHAT HE SAID WAS DAMNING. MR. BIDEN: I HAVE NOT TAKEN A PENNY FOR ANY FOREIGN SOURCE IN MY LIFE. WE LEARNED THIS PRESIDENT DOES BUSINESS IN CHINA, HAS A SECRET BANK ACCOUNT IN CHINA, AND IS TALKING ABOUT ME TAKING MONEY? I HAVE NOT TAKEN A PENNY FROM A SINGLE COUNTRY WHATSOEVER. NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, THIS IS A PRESIDENT -- I RELEASED ALL MY TAX RETURNS. 22 YEARS -- GO LOOK AT THEM. YOU HAVE NOT RELEASED A SINGLE SOLITARY YEAR OF YOUR TAX RETURN. WHAT ARE YOU HIDING? WHY ARE YOU UNWILLING? FOREIGN COUNTRIES ARE PAYING YOU A LOT. RUSSIA IS PAYING YOU A LOT. CHINA IS PAYING YOU A LOT. YOUR HOTELS, YOUR BUSINESSES ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY, ALL AROUND THE WORLD. CHINA IS BUILDING A NEW ROAD TO A GOLF COURSE YOU HAVE OVERSEAS, SO WHAT'S GOING ON? RELEASE YOUR TAX RETURN OR STOP TALKING ABOUT CORRUPTION. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOUR RESPONSE. PRESIDENT TRUMP: FIRST OF ALL, I CALLED MY ACCOUNTANTS UNDER AUDIT. I'M GOING TO RELEASE MY TAX RETURNS. IT WILL SHOW HOW GREAT THIS COUNTRY IS, BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT, PEOPLE WERE SAYING $750. I ASKED A WEEK AGO WHAT I PAID. THEY SAID, SIR, YOU PREPAID TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. I PREPAID MY TAX OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS. TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS I PREPAID BECAUSE AT SOME POINT, THEY THINK -- IT'S AN ESTIMATE -- THEY THINK I MAY HAVE TO PAY TAX, SO I ALREADY PREPAID. NOBODY TELLS ME THAT. AND IT WAS NOT WRITTEN. THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT 750 DOLLARS, WHICH I THINK IS A FILING FEE. BUT LET ME JUST SAY I PREPAID MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAXES. NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, I DON'T MAKE MONEY FROM CHINA. YOU DO. I DON'T MAKE MONEY FROM UKRAINE. YOU DO. I DON'T MAKE MONEY FROM RUSSIA. YOU MADE $3.5 MILLION AND YOUR SON GAVE YOUR -- THEY EVEN HAD A STATEMENT THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE 10% TO THE BIG MAN. YOU ARE THE BIG MAN, I THINK. I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE NOT, BUT YOU ARE THE BIG MAN, I THINK. WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT? IT'S TERRIBLE. >> I'M GOING TO LET YOU BOTH RESPOND. VERY QUICKLY, YOU SAID YOU SPOKE TO YOUR ACCOUNTANT ABOUT POTENTIALLY RELEASING YOUR TAXES. DID HE TELL YOU WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO RELEASE HIM -- RELEASE THEM? PRESIDENT TRUMP: I GOT THROUGH TO THEM WORSE THAN THE TEA PARTY GOT THROUGH TO THEM. A LOT OF PEOPLE DEEP DOWN THAT TREAT ME HORRIBLY. WE MADE A DEAL, IT WAS ALL SETTLED UNTIL I DECIDED TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT. I GET TREATED VERY BADLY BY THE IRS, VERY UNFAIRLY, BUT WE HAD A DEAL ALL DONE. AS SOON AS WE ARE COMPLETED WITH THE DEAL -- I WANT TO RELEASE IT, BUT I HAVE PAID MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, AND IT'S WORSE THAN PAYING. I PAID IN ADVANCE. IT'S CALLED PREPAYING YOUR TAXES. >> I WANT TO ASK YOU BOTH ABOUT POTENTIAL FOREIGN ENTANGLEMENTS AND GIVE YOU BOTH A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT THIS MORE BROADLY. RESPOND QUICKLY AND I WILL GET TO MY QUESTION. MR. BIDEN: HE HAS BEEN SAYING THIS FOR FOUR YEARS. SHOW US. JUST SHOW US. STOP PLAYING AROUND. WHAT THEY DO KNOW IS THAT YOU ARE NOT PAYING YOUR TAXES, OR YOU ARE PAYING TAXES THAT ARE SO LOW -- WHEN LAST TIME HE SAID WHAT HE PAID, HE SAID I ONLY PAID OUT A LITTLE BECAUSE I'M SMART. I KNOW HOW TO GAME THE SYSTEM. COME ON. COME ON, FOLKS. >> TO YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, THAN I WANT TO GET YOUR TWO QUESTIONS. PRESIDENT TRUMP: I WAS PUT THROUGH A PHONY WITCHHUNT FOR THREE YEARS. IT STARTED BEFORE I EVEN GOT ELECTED. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN. NO PRESIDENT SHOULD EVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT I WENT THROUGH. LET ME JUST SAY THIS -- MUELLER IN 18 ANGRY DEMOCRATS AND FBI AGENT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE SPENT 48 MILLION DOLLARS. THEY WENT THROUGH EVERYTHING I HAD, INCLUDING MY TAX RETURNS, AND THEY FOUND ABSOLUTELY NO COLLUSION AND NOTHING WRONG. I GUARANTEE, IF I SPEND $1 MILLION ON YOU, JOE, I COULD FIND PLENTY WRONG BECAUSE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT YOU HAVE DONE IN THE KIND OF MONEY YOUR FAMILY HAS TAKEN -- I MEAN, YOUR BROTHER MADE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. YOUR OTHER BROTHER MADE A FORTUNE, AND IT'S ALL THROUGH YOU. AND THEY SAY YOU GET SOME OF IT, AND YOU DO LIVE VERY WELL. >> VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, THERE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORK YOUR SON HAS DONE IN UKRAINE AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA. IN RETROSPECT, WAS ANYTHING ABOUT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND ETHICAL? MR. BIDEN: WITH HER GOT TO UKRAINE, WE HAD THIS QUESTION ABOUT BECAUSE HE WAS ON THE BOARD, THAT SOMEHOW I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG. YET, EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY PERSON WHEN HE WAS GOING THROUGH HIS IMPEACHMENT TESTIFYING UNDER OATH WHO WORKED FOR HIM SAID I DID MY JOB IMPECCABLY. I CARRIED OUT U.S. POLICY. NOT ONE SINGLE SOLITARY THING WAS OUT OF LINE. NOT A SINGLE THING. NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, THE GUY WHO GOT IN TROUBLE IN UKRAINE WAS THIS GUY FOR TRYING TO BRIBE THE UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT TO SAY SOMETHING NEGATIVE ABOUT ME, WHICH THEY WOULD NOT DO AND DID NOT DO BECAUSE IT NEVER, EVER, EVER HAPPENED. MY SON HAS NOT MADE MONEY IN TERMS OF THIS THING ABOUT -- WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT? CHINA. THE ONLY GUY THAT MADE MONEY FROM CHINA IS THIS GUY. THE ONLY ONE. NOBODY ELSE HAS MADE MONEY FROM CHINA. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP, LET ME ASK MY QUESTION TO YOU -- PRESIDENT TRUMP: COULD I JUST ASK ONE -- >> VERY QUICKLY. TRUMPS SURVIVOR: HIS FUN -- PRESIDENT TRUMP: HIS SON, AS SOON AS HE BECAME VICE PRESIDENT, I HEAR THEY PAID HIM 100 $83,000 A MONTH -- LISTEN TO THIS -- 183 -- THEY GAVE HIM A $3 MILLION UPFRONT PAYMENT, AND HE HAD NO ENERGY -- >> I'M GOING TO LET THE VICE PRESIDENT ANSWER AND THEN I'M GOING TO GET A QUESTION TO YOU. MR. BIDEN: NO ONE SAID ANYTHING HE DID WAS WRONG IN UKRAINE. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP, THIS IS FOR YOU. SINCE YOU TOOK OFFICE, YOU HAVE NEVER DIVESTED FROM YOUR BUSINESS. A COURT INDICATES YOU HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT IN CHINA. HOW CAN VOTERS KNOW YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY FOREIGN CONFLICT OF INTEREST? PRESIDENT TRUMP: I HAVE MANY BANK ACCOUNTS, AND THEY ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE. I'M A BUSINESSMAN DOING BUSINESS. THE BANK ACCOUNT YOU ARE REFERRING TO WAS IN 2013. IT WAS CLOSED IN 2015, I BELIEVE, AND THEN I DECIDED, BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO DO -- I WAS THINKING ABOUT DOING A DEAL IN CHINA LIKE MILLIONS OF OTHER PEOPLE, AND I DECIDED I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT. DIDN'T LIKE IT, DECIDED NOT TO DO IT, HAD AN ACCOUNT OPEN, AND I CLOSED IT. >> OK. PRESIDENT TRUMP: EXCUSE ME. THEN, UNLIKE HIM, I DECIDED THE ROAD TO PRESIDENT, SO I CLOSED IT BEFORE I EVEN RAN FOR PRESIDENT, LET ALONE BECAME PRESIDENT. BIG DIFFERENCE -- HE IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND HIS SON, HIS BROTHER, AND HIS OTHER BROTHER ARE GETTING RICH. THEY ARE LIKE A VACUUM CLEANER -- [CROSSTALK] >> I DO WANT TO ASK YOU, VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, ABOUT CHINA. LET'S TALK ABOUT CHINA MORE BROADLY. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID THEY SHOULD PAY FOR NOT BEING FULLY TRANSPARENT IN WE GOT TO THE CORONAVIRUS. IF YOU WERE PRESIDENT, WOULD YOU MAKE CHINA PAY? PLEASE BE SPECIFIC. WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? -- IN REGARD TO THE CORONAVIRUS. MR. BIDEN: I WOULD MAKE CHINA PLAY BY THE RULES. HE HAS CAUSED THE DEFICIT WITH CHINA TO GO UP, NOT DOWN. WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT IN ORDER TO DO BUSINESS IN CHINA, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PARTNER WITH 51%, AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO THAT AT ALL. WHEN I MET WITH XI, HE SAID WE ARE SETTING UP IDENTIFICATION ZONES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, AND I SAID WE ARE GOING TO FLY THROUGH THEM. WE JUST FLEW BOMBERS THROUGH IT. THEY HAVE TO PLAY BY THE RULES, AND WHAT DOES HE DO? HE EMBRACES GUYS LIKE THE THUGS LIKE IN NORTH KOREA AND THE CHINESE PRESIDENT AND PUGIN AND OTHERS, AND HE POKES HIS FINGER IN THE EYEBALL OF OUR FRIENDS, ALL OF OUR ALLIES. THEY MAKE UP 25% OF THE WORLD'S ECONOMY. WE NEED TO BE HAVING THE REST OF OUR FRIENDS WITH US SAYING TO CHINA, THESE ARE THE RULES. YOU PLAY BY THEM, OR YOU PAY THE PRICE FOR NOT PLAYING BY THEM ECONOMICALLY. THAT'S THE WAY I WILL RUN IT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID WHEN WE WERE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT. >> LET'S TALK ABOUT -- PRESIDENT TRUMP: NO, I HAVE TO RESPOND TO THAT. THERE'S A VERY STRONG FEMALE TALKING ABOUT YOUR FAMILY WANTING TO MAKE $10 MILLION A YEAR FOR INTRODUCTIONS -- >> PRESIDENT TRUMP, WHAT SPECIFICALLY ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO MAKE CHINA PAY? PRESIDENT TRUMP: CHINA IS PAYING. THEY ARE PAYING BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. I JUST GAVE $28 BILLION TO OUR FARMERS -- MR. BIDEN: TAXPAYERS' MONEY. PRESIDENT TRUMP: IT'S NOT THE TAXPAYERS. IT'S CALLED CHINA. YOU KNOW THEY DID TO PAY? THEY DEVALUED THEIR CURRENCY AND ALSO PAID UP. YOU KNOW WHO GOT THE MONEY? OUR FARMERS BECAUSE THEY WERE TARGETED. YOU NEVER CHARGED THEM ANYTHING. ALSO, I CHARGED THEM 25% ON DUMPED STEEL. THEY WERE KILLING OUR STEEL INDUSTRY -- >> OK, VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, YOUR RESPONSE. MR. BIDEN: THERE'S A REASON HE'S BRINGING UP ALL OF THIS MALARKEY. THERE'S A REASON FOR IT. HE DOES NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES. IT'S NOT ABOUT HIS FAMILY AND MY FAMILY. IT'S ABOUT YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR FAMILY IS HURTING BADLY. IF YOU ARE A MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILY, YOU ARE GETTING HURT BADLY RIGHT NOW. YOU'RE SITTING AT THE KITCHEN TABLE DECIDING WE CANNOT GET NEW TIRES, THEY ARE BALD, BUT WE HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER MONTH OR SO. OR WHO IS GOING TO TELL OUR DAUGHTER SHE CANNOT GO BACK TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE? MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILIES LIKE THE ONE I GREW UP WITH ARE IN TROUBLE. WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT YOU, BUT THAT'S THE LAST THING HE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT. >> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT NORTH KOREA -- 10 SECONDS, MR. PRESIDENT. PRESIDENT TRUMP: LET'S GET OFF THIS CHINA THING, THEN HE LOOKS TO FAMILY AND EVERYTHING, JUST YOUR TYPICAL POLITICIAN -- >> OK -- PRESIDENT TRUMP: THAT'S WHY I GOT ELECTED. LET'S GET OFF THE SUBJECT OF CHINA. LET'S TALK SITTING AROUND THE TABLE. COME ON, JOE, YOU CAN DO BETTER. >> YOU MET WITH NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG-UN THREE TIMES. YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIFUL LETTERS FROM HIM. YOU TOUTED THE FACT THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A WAR OR LONG-RANGE MISSILE TEST AND YET, NORTH KOREA JUST ROLLED OUT ITS BIGGEST EVER INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE AND CONTINUES TO DEVELOP ITS NUCLEAR ARSENAL. DO YOU SEE THAT AS A PEN TRAIL OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP -- BETRAYAL OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP? PRESIDENT TRUMP: I SAT WITH BARACK OBAMA IN THE WHITE HOUSE, RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING, IT WAS A GREAT RELATIONSHIP. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 15 MINUTES. IT LASTED MORE THAN AN HOUR. HE SAID WE WOULD BE IN A WAR WITH NORTH KOREA, AND IT WOULD BE A NUCLEAR WAR. IN THE MEANTIME, I HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. DIFFERENT KIND OF A GUY, BUT HE PROBABLY THINK THE SAME ABOUT ME. WE HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP AND THERE'S NO WAR. ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, HE BROKE INTO A CERTAIN AREA, AND HE SAID THERE'S GOING TO BE TROUBLE, AND I SAID NO, THERE WON'T BECAUSE HE'S NOT GOING TO DO THAT. MILLIONS AND MILLIONS -- 32 MILLION PEOPLE -- MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW -- [CROSSTALK] >> VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, NORTH KOREA CONDUCTED 4 NUCLEAR TESTS UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO REIN IN THIS PERSISTENT THREAT? MR. BIDEN: BECAUSE I MADE IT CLEAR THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE PART OF THE DEAL. I MADE IT CLEAR AS A SPOKESPERSON OF THE ADMINISTRATION WHEN I WENT TO CHINA. THEY SAID WHY ARE YOU MOVING YOUR MISSILE DEFENSE SO CLOSE? WHY ARE YOU MOVING MORE FORCES HERE? WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO DO MILITARY MANEUVERS WITH SOUTH KOREA? I SAID BECAUSE NORTH KOREA IS A PROBLEM, AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO IT SO WE CAN CONTROL THEM. WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE CAN CONTROL THEM AND MAKE SURE THEY CANNOT HURT US. IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, STEP UP AND HELP. IF NOT, IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE. WHAT HAS HE DONE? LEGITIMIZED NORTH KOREA. HE TALKED ABOUT HIS GOOD BUDDY WHO IS A THUG, AND TALKED ABOUT HOW WE ARE BETTER OFF, AND THEY HAVE MUCH MORE CAPABLE MISSILES ABLE TO REACH U.S. TERRITORY MUCH MORE EASILY THAN EVER BEFORE. >> LET ME FOLLOW-UP -- YOU SAID YOU WOULD NOT MEET WITH KIM JONG-UN WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS. ARE THERE ANY CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH YOU WOULD MEET WITH HIM? MR. BIDEN: ON THE CONDITION HE WOULD AGREE HE WOULD BE DRAWING DOWN HIS NUCLEAR CAPACITY, TO GET THE KOREAN PENINSULA TO BE A NUCLEAR-FREE ZONE. >> LET'S MOVE ON TO -- [CROSSTALK] PRESIDENT TRUMP: THEY TRIED TO GET HIM TO DRAW DOWN. HE DID NOT LIKE OBAMA. HE WOULD NOT DO IT. WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP. HAVING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH LEADERS OF OTHER COUNTRIES -- >> PRESIDENT TRUMP, WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO GET TO. MR. BIDEN: WE HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH HITLER'S BEFORE HE INVADED EUROPE. COME ON. PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID WE WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT DENUCLEARIZATION. WE ARE NOT GOING TO LEGITIMIZE YOU BUT CONTINUE TO PUSH STRONGER AND STRONGER SANCTIONS ON YOU. THAT'S WHY HE WOULD NOT MEET WITH US. PRESIDENT TRUMP: AND IT DID NOT HAPPEN -- >> WE NEED TO MOVE ON. PRESIDENT TRUMP: LEFT ME A MESS. NORTH KOREA WAS A MESS -- >> WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO OTHER QUESTIONS TONIGHT. PRESIDENT TRUMP: IT WAS A DANGEROUS PERIOD IN MY FIRST FEW MONTHS BEFORE WE SORT OF WORKED THINGS OUT IT. THEY LEFT US A MESS, AND OBAMA WOULD BE, I THINK, THE FIRST TO SAY IT WAS THE SINGLE BIGGEST PROBLEM HE THOUGHT IN OUR COUNTRY. >> LET'S MOVE ONTO AMERICAN FAMILIES AND OUR ECONOMY. ONE OF THE ISSUES MOST IMPORTANT TO THEM IS HEALTH CARE, AS WE BOTH KNOW. TODAY, THERE WAS A KEY VOTE ON A NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, AMY CONEY BARRETT, AND HEALTH CARE IS AT THE CENTER OF HER CONFIRMATION FIGHT. OVER 20 MILLION AMERICANS GET THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. IT IS HEADED TO THE SUPREME COURT, AND YOUR ADMINISTRATION IS ADVOCATING FOR THE COURT TO OVERTURN IT. IF THE SUPREME COURT DOES OVERTURN THAT LAW, 20 MILLION AMERICANS COULD LOSE THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE ON MOST OVERNIGHT. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE TAKEN AWAY? PRESIDENT TRUMP: FIRST OF ALL, I'VE ALREADY DONE SOMETHING NOBODY THOUGHT WAS POSSIBLE. THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE, I TERMINATED THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE, THE WORST PART OF OBAMA CARE, AS WE CALL IT. I TERMINATED IT. IT'S GONE. NOW IT IS IN COURT BECAUSE OBAMACARE IS NO GOOD. THEN I MADE THE DECISION -- RUN IT AS WELL AS YOU CAN. MY PEOPLE, GREAT PEOPLE, RUN IT AS WELL AS YOU CAN -- I COULD HAVE GONE THE OTHER ROUTE AND MADE EVERYBODY VERY HAPPY. THEY RAN IT. PREMIUMS ARE DOWN. HERE'S THE PROBLEM -- IT'S NO GOOD. WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TERMINATE IT. WE HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE DONE. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT IS GOING TO WORK. IT NO LONGER IS OBAMACARE BECAUSE WITHOUT THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE, IT'S MUCH DIFFERENT. PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS WILL ALWAYS STAY. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS A MUCH BETTER HEALTH CARE -- MUCH BETTER -- WILL ALWAYS PROTECT PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXISTING. I WOULD LIKE TO TERMINATE OBAMACARE. DEMOCRATS WILL DO IT BECAUSE THERE WILL BE TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON THEM AND WE MIGHT EVEN HAVE THE HOUSE BY THAT TIME, AND I THINK WE ARE GOING TO WIN THE HOUSE. YOU WILL SEE, BUT I THINK WE ARE GOING TO WIN THE HOUSE, BUT COME UP WITH A BETTER HEALTH CARE, ALWAYS PROTECTING PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, AND ONE THING VERY IMPORTANT -- WE HAVE 180 MILLION PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE GREAT PRIVATE HEALTH CARE, FAR MORE THAN WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WITH OBAMACARE. JOE BIDEN IS GOING TO TERMINATE ALL OF THOSE POLICIES. THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT LOVE THEIR HEALTH CARE, PEOPLE THAT HAVE AN SUCCESSFUL. MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE -- BEEN SUCCESSFUL. THEY HAVE 180 MILLION PEOPLE, FAMILIES, UNDER WHAT HE WANTS TO DO, WHICH WILL BASICALLY BE SOCIALIZED MEDICINE -- YOU WON'T EVEN HAVE A CHOICE -- THEY WANT TO TERMINATE 180 MILLION PLANS. WE HAVE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB ON HEALTH CARE, AND WE ARE GOING TO DO EVEN BETTER. >> VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, YOUR HEALTH PLAN CALLS FOR BUILDING ON OBAMACARE. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN IF THE LAW IS HELD UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY THE SUPREME COURT? YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. >> WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS PASS OBAMACARE WITH A PUBLIC OPTION. IT BECOMES BIDENCARE OR THE PUBLIC OPTION WOULD BE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID AND DO NOT HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL IN YOUR STATE TO GET MEDICAID, YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED, PROVIDING COMPETITION. SECOND, WE WILL MAKE SURE WE REDUCE THE PREMIUMS AND REDUCE DRUG PRICES BY MAKING SURE THERE'S COMPETITION THAT DOES NOT EXIST NOW, BY ALLOWING MEDICARE TO NEGOTIATE DRUG PRICES WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES. THIRDLY, THE IDEA THAT I WANT TO ELIMINATE PRIVATE INSURANCE -- THE REASON WHY I HAD SUCH A FIGHT WITH 20 CANDIDATES FOR THE NOMINATION WAS I SUPPORT PRIVATE INSURANCE. NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON IN PRIVATE INSURANCE WOULD LOSE THEIR INSURANCE UNDER MY PLAN, NOTED THEY UNDER OBAMACARE. THEY DID NOT LOSE THEIR INSURANCE UNLESS THEY CHOSE THEY WANTED TO GO TO SOMETHING ELSE. LASTLY, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A SITUATION THAT WE ACTUALLY PROTECT PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. THERE'S NO WAY HE CAN PROTECT PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. NONE, ZERO. YOU CANNOT DO IT IN THE ETHER. HE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS A LONG TIME. HE HAS NEVER COME UP WITH A PLAN. I GUESS WE WILL GET THE PRE-EXISTING CONDITION PLAN THE SAME TIME WE GET THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN THAT WE WAITED FOR IN 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. I KNOW YOU ARE GETTING ANXIOUS. HE HAS ALREADY COST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BECAUSE HIS TERRIBLE HANDLING OF CORONAVIRUS AND ITS ECONOMIC SPILLOVER. 10 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR PRIVATE INSURANCE, AND HE WANTS TO TAKE AWAY 22 MILLION MORE PEOPLE WHO HAVE IT UNDER OBAMACARE AND 110 MILLION PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, AND ALL THE PEOPLE WITH COVID WHO HAVE PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO? >> I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP THAT RELATES TO SOMETHING PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID. HE ACCUSES YOU OF WANTING TO SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO THINK THE OPTION TAKES THE COUNTRY ONE STEP CLOSER TO A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM RUN BY GOVERNMENT? MR. BIDEN: I SAY IT'S RIDICULOUS. THE FACT THAT THERE'S A PUBLIC OPTION, THAT PEOPLE CAN CHOOSE, THAT MAKES IT A SOCIALIST PLAN? THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT AND I, I THINK HEALTH CARE IS NOT A PRIVILEGE BUT A RIGHT. I'M PROUD OF MY PLAN. IT HAS GOTTEN ENDORSED BY MAJOR LABOR UNIONS AS WELL AS A RANGE OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE CONCERNED IN THE MEDICAL FIELD. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL SAVE PEOPLE'S LIVES CAN GET SO MANY PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE HEALTH CARE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. HOW MANY PEOPLE AT HOME ARE WORRIED, ROLLING AROUND IN BED TONIGHT WORRIED ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU GET SICK? WE HAVE TO PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR PEOPLE AT AN AFFORDABLE RATE, AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD DO. PRESIDENT TRUMP: HE WAS THERE FOR 47 YEARS. HE DID NOT DO IT. HE WAS NOW THERE IS VICE PRESIDENT FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND IT'S NOT LIKE IT WAS 25 YEARS AGO. IT WAS JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO, RIGHT? HE DID NOT DO ANYTHING. HE WANTS SOCIALIZED MEDICINE, AND IT'S NOT THAT HE WANTS IT. HIS VICE PRESIDENT -- I MEAN, SHE IS MORE LIBERAL THAN BERNIE SANDERS AND WANTS IT EVEN MORE. BERNIE SANDERS WANTS IT. THE DEMOCRATS WANT IT. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. JUST LIKE HE WENT ON FRACKING, "WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE FRACKING." THEN HE GOES TO PENNSYLVANIA ONCE HE GOT THE NOMINATION, AND HE JUST, "OH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FRACKING." AND YOU NEVER ASK THAT QUESTION. BY THE WAY, SO FAR, I RESPECT THE WAY YOU ARE HANDLING THIS, BUT SOMEBODY SHOULD ASK THE QUESTION. HE GOES FOR A YEAR -- >> WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TOPICS TO GET TO. WE ARE GOING TO GET TO THIS -- [CROSSTALK] YOUR RESPONSE, PLEASE. MR. BIDEN: MY RESPONSE IS PEOPLE DESERVE TO HAVE HEALTH CARE, PERIOD. PERIOD, PERIOD, PERIOD. THE BIDEN PROPOSAL WILL PROVIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE, LOWER PREMIUMS. IT'S GOING TO COST OVER $750 BILLION OVER 10 YEARS TO DO IT, AND THEY WILL HAVE LOWER PREMIUMS. YOU CAN BUY INTO THE BETTER PLAN, THE CHEAPER PLAN, LOWER YOUR PREMIUMS. YOU CAN HAVE YOUR DRUG PRICES DROP SIGNIFICANTLY. HE KEEPS TALKING ABOUT IT. HE HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING FOR ANYBODY ON HEALTH CARE. PRESIDENT TRUMP: HE'S TALKING ABOUT SOCIALIZED MEDICINE AND HEALTH CARE. WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE PUBLIC OPTION, HE'S TALKING ABOUT DESTROYING YOUR MEDICARE AND DESTROYING YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY, AND THIS WHOLE COUNTRY WILL COME DOWN. YOU KNOW, BERNIE SANDERS TRIED IT FOR HIS STATE. HE TRIED IT FOR HIS STATE. HIS GOVERNOR WAS A VERY LIBERAL GOVERNOR. THEY WANTED TO MAKE IT WORK -- >> OK, VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, PLEASE RESPOND. MR. BIDEN: HE THINKS HE IS RUNNING AGAINST SOMEONE ELSE. I BEAT ALL THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE I DISAGREED WITH THEM. JOE BIDEN, HE IS RUNNING AGAINST. THE IDEA THAT WE ARE IN A SITUATION THAT WE ARE GOING TO DESTROY MEDICARE, THIS IS THE GUY WHO IF IN FACT HE CONTINUES TO WITHHOLD THE TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY, SOCIAL SECURITY WILL BE BANKRUPT BY 2023 WITH NO WAY TO MAKE UP FOR IT. THIS IS THE GUY WHO HAS TRIED TO CUT MEDICARE. THE IDEA THAT DONALD TRUMP IS LECTURING ME ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE? COME ON. PRESIDENT TRUMP: HE TRIED TO GET RID OF -- HE TRIED TO HURT SOCIAL SECURITY YEARS AGO. YEARS AGO. GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE RECORDS. HE TRIED TO HURT SOCIAL SECURITY YEARS AGO. >> LET'S MOVE ON. MR. PRESIDENT, I HAVE TO MOVE ONTO THE NEXT QUESTION. PRESIDENT TRUMP: IF HE IS ELECTED, THE STOCK MARKET WILL CRASH. >> RESPOND TO THAT VERY QUICKLY. MR. BIDEN: WHERE I COME FROM IN SCRANTON AND CLAREMONT, PEOPLE DON'T LIVE OFF THE STOCK MARKET. JUST IN THE LAST THREE YEARS DURING THIS CRISIS, THE BILLIONAIRES IN THIS COUNTRY MADE, ACCORDING TO WALL STREET, 700 BILLION MORE DOLLARS BECAUSE THAT'S HIS ONLY MEASURE. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ORDINARY PEOPLE OUT THERE? WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM? PRESIDENT TRUMP: 401K'S OR THROUGH THE ROOF. HE DOES NOT COME FROM SCRANTON. THAT'S, LIKE, ONE OF -- HE LIVED THERE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE HE EVEN KNEW IT -- >> LET ME MOVE ON TO MY NEXT QUESTION. AS OF TONIGHT, MORE THAN 12 MILLION PEOPLE ARE OUT OF WORK AND AS OF TONIGHT, 8 MILLION MORE AMERICANS HAVE FALLEN INTO POVERTY AND MORE AMERICANS ARE GOING HUNGRY EVERY DAY. THOSE HIT MOST ARE WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR. THEY SEE WASHINGTON FIGHTING OVER A RELIEF BILL. MR. PRESIDENT, WHY HAVE YOU NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THEM THE HELP THEY NEED? 30 SECONDS. PRESIDENT TRUMP: BECAUSE NANCY PELOSI DOES NOT WANT TO PROVE IT. I DO. >> BUT YOU ARE PRESIDENT. PRESIDENT TRUMP: I KNOW, BUT I STILL HAVE TO GET APPROVAL. THAT'S ONE REASON WHY I THINK WE WILL TAKE OVER THE HOUSE BECAUSE OF HER. NANCY PELOSI DOES NOT WANT TO APPROVE IT. WE ARE READY, WILLING, AND ABLE TO DO SOMETHING. DON'T FORGET, WE HAVE ALREADY APPROVED THREE PLANS. THIS ONE SHE DOES NOT WANT, IT'S NEAR THE ELECTION BECAUSE SHE THINKS IT HELPS HER POLITICALLY. I THINK IT HURTS HER POLITICALLY. >> MR. VICE PRESIDENT -- MR. BIDEN: THE REPUBLICAN LEADER SAID HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PASS IT. WHY IS HE NOT TALKING TO HIS REPUBLICAN FRIENDS? >> LET ME ASK VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN A QUESTION. YOU ARE THE LEADER OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. WHY HAVE YOU NOT PUSHED THE DEMOCRATS TO GET A DEAL FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE? MR. BIDEN: I HAVE, AND THEY HAVE PUSHED IT. THEY PASSED THIS ACT ALL THE WAY THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER. THIS HEROES ACT HAS BEEN SITTING THERE. WHEN I WAS IN CHARGE WITH THE RECOVERY ACT, I WAS ABLE TO GET ONE HUNDRED 45 BILLION DOLLARS FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGET. THE STATES HAVE TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGET, SO THEY HAVE TO FIREFIGHTERS -- FIRE FIREFIGHTERS, TEACHERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SO THEY CAN KEEP THEIR CITIES AND COUNTIES RUNNING. HE WILL NOT SUPPORT THAT. THEY HAVE NOT DONE A THING FOR THEM. MITCH MCCONNELL SAID LET THEM GO BANKRUPT. LET THEM GO BANKRUPT. COME ON, WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THAT GUY? PRESIDENT TRUMP: THE BILL THAT PASSED THROUGH THE HOUSE WAS A BAILOUT OF BADLY RUN, HIGH CRIME , DEMOCRAT -- ALL RUN BY DEMOCRATS -- CITIES AND STATES. IT WAS A WAY OF GETTING A LOT OF MONEY, BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IT WAS ALSO A WAY OF GETTING A LOT OF MONEY FROM OUR PEOPLE'S POCKETS TO PEOPLE THAT COME INTO OUR COUNTRY ILLEGALLY. MR. BIDEN: [SIGHS] PRESIDENT TRUMP: I WOULD LOVE TO HELP THEM, BUT WHAT THAT DOES, EVERYBODY ALL OVER THE WORLD WILL START POURING INTO OUR COUNTRY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH COVID, AS FOR YOUR QUESTION, BUT IT WAS A BIG ALLOW FOR BADLY RUN THEM A CREDIT CITIES AND STATES. >> I'M RUNNING AS A PROUD DEMOCRAT. I'M GOING TO BE AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT. I DON'T SEE RED STATES AND BLUE STATES. WHAT I SEE IS AMERICA, UNITED DATES. EVERY SINGLE STATE OUT THERE FINDS THEMSELVES IN TROUBLE, THEY WILL START RATING -- LAYING OFF, IF THEY ARE RED OR BLUE, COPS, FIREFIGHTERS, FIRST RESPONDERS. THEY CUT TEACHERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGET, AND THE FOUNDERS WERE SMART. THEY ALLOWED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. >> OH WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE MINIMUM WAGE. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT STRUGGLING SMALL BUSINESSES. DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO ASK THEM TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE? MR. BIDEN: I DO BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IS BAIL THEM OUT, TOO. WE SHOULD BE BAILING THEM OUT, NOW, THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES. ONE IN SIX ARE GOING UNDER. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT BACK. THEY PASSED A FEDERAL PACKAGE THAT ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO CALL PPP. MONEY IS SUPPOSED TO HELP THEM ORGANIZE EVERYTHING FROM HOW THEY CAN ORGANIZE THEIR BUSINESS IS TO BE OPENSMALLER, HOW THEY T VENTILATION SYSTEMS IN. THEY NEED THE HELP. BUSINESSES AS WELL AS THE SCHOOLS NEED THE HELP. BUT THESE GUYS WILL NOT HELP THEM. THEY ARE NOT GIVING THEM ANY OF THE MONEY. KRISTEN: WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO IMMIGRATION. PRESIDENT TRUMP: SMALL BUSINESSES, BY RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE -- THAT IS NOT HELPING. IT SHOULD BE A STATE OPTION. ALABAMA IS DIFFERENT FROM NEW YORK. NEW YORK IS DIFFERENT FROM VERMONT. EVERY STATE IS DIFFERENT. WE HAVE TO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. HOW ARE YOU HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES WHEN YOU ARE FORCING WAGES -- WHAT HAS BEEN PROVEN TO HAPPEN IS WHEN YOU DO THAT, THE SMALL BUSINESSES FIRE MANY OTHER EMPLOYEES -- KRISTEN: WOULD YOU CONSIDER RAISING THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE? YOU SAID RECENTLY YOU WOULD CONSIDER RAISING THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE. PRESIDENT TRUMP: AND I WOULD CONSIDER IT TO AN EXTENT. IN A SECOND ADMINISTRATION. BUT NOT TO A LEVEL THAT IS GOING TO PUT ALL THESE BUSINESSES OUT OF BUSINESS. IT SHOULD BE A STATE OPTION. DIFFERENT PLACES ARE ALL DIFFERENT. SOME PLACES, $15 IS NOT SO BAD. IN OTHER PLACES, $15 -- KRISTEN: THANK YOU. MR. BIDEN: TWO JOBS, ONE JOB, BELOW POVERTY. PEOPLE ARE MAKING SIX DOLLARS, SEVEN DOLLARS AN HOUR. THESE FIRST RESPONDERS, WE CLAP AS THEY COME DOWN THE STREET BECAUSE THEY ALLOWED US TO MAKE IT. WHAT IS HAPPENING? THEY DESERVE A MINIMUM WAGE OF $15. ANYTHING BELOW THAT PUTS YOU BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT WHEN YOU RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE, BUSINESSES GO OUT OF BUSINESS. KRISTEN: WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION NOW. WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT FAMILIES. MR. PRESIDENT, YOUR ADMINISTRATION SEPARATED CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS AT THE BORDER, AT LEAST 4000 KIDS. YOU REVERSED YOUR ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY, BUT THE UNITED STATES CAN'T LOCATE THE PARENTS OF MORE THAN 500 CHILDREN. HOW WILL THESE CHILDREN BE REUNITED? PRESIDENT TRUMP: THESE CHILDREN ARE BROUGHT HERE BY COYOTES AND LOTS OF BAD PEOPLE, CARTELS, AND THEY USED TO USE THEM TO GET INTO OUR COUNTRY. WE NOW HAVE AS STRONG A BORDER AS WE'VE EVER HAD. OVER 400 MILES OF BRAND-NEW WALL. AND WE LET PEOPLE IN BUT THEY HAVE TO COME IN LEGALLY. KRISTEN: BUT HOW WILL YOU REUNITE THESE KIDS WITH THEIR FAMILIES? PRESIDENT TRUMP: THE USED TO SAY I BUILT THE CAGES AND THEN THEY HAD A PICTURE IN A CERTAIN NEWSPAPER AND IT WAS A PICTURE OF THESE HORRIBLE CAGES AND THEY SAID LOOK AT THESE CAGES -- PRESIDENT TRUMP BUILT THEM, AND THEN IT WAS DETERMINED THEY WERE BUILT IN 2014. THAT WAS HIM. KRISTEN: DO YOU HAVE A PLAN TO REUNITE THE KIDS? PRESIDENT TRUMP: WE ARE TRYING VERY HARD BUT A LOT OF THESE KIDS COME WITHOUT THE PARENTS. THEY COME WITH CARTELS AND COYOTES AND GANGS. KRISTEN: QUICK RESPONSE AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION. MR. BIDEN: THESE 500 PLUS KIDS CAME WITH PARENTS. THEY SEPARATED THEM AT THE BORDER TO MAKE IT A DISINCENTIVE TO COME TO BEGIN WITH. AND GUESS WHAT, THEY CANNOT -- IT IS NOT COYOTES. THEIR PARENTS WERE WITH THEM. THEY GOT SEPARATED FROM THEIR PARENTS. AND IT MAKES US A LAUGHINGSTOCK AND VIOLATES EVERY NOTION OF WHO WE ARE AS A NATION. KRISTEN: LET ME ASK -- PRESIDENT TRUMP: THEY DID IT. WE CHANGE THE POLICY. MR. BIDEN: WE DID NOT. PRESIDENT TRUMP: TO THE CAGES? MR. BIDEN: LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. WHAT HAPPENED? PARENTS, THEIR KIDS WERE RIPPED FROM THEIR ARMS AND SEPARATED AND NOW THEY CANNOT FIND OVER 500 SETS OF THOSE PARENTS AND THOSE KIDS ARE ALONE. NOWHERE TO GO. IT IS CRIMINAL. IT IS CRIMINAL. PRESIDENT TRUMP: THEY WENT DOWN, WE BROUGHT REPORTERS, EVERYTHING , THEY ARE SO WELL TAKEN CARE OF. THEY ARE IN FACILITIES THAT WERE SO CLEAN. KRISTEN: SOME OF THEM HAVEN'T BEEN REUNITED WITH THEIR PARENTS. PRESIDENT TRUMP: WHO THE CAGES? KRISTEN: LET ME ASK ABOUT YOUR IMMIGRATION POLICY. THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION DID FAIL TO DELIVER IMMIGRATION REFORM. IT ALSO PRESIDED OVER RECORD DEPORTATIONS AS WELL AS FAMILY DETENTIONS AT THE BORDER BEFORE CHANGING COURSE. WHY SHOULD VOTERS TRUST YOU WITH IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL NOW? MR. BIDEN: WE MADE A MISTAKE. IT TOOK TOO LONG TO GET IT RIGHT. I'LL BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, NOT VICE PRESIDENT. I'VE MADE IT CLEAR, WITHIN 100 DAYS, I'M GOING TO SEND THE CONGRESS A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP FOR OVER 11 MILLION UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE. AND ALL THOSE SO-CALLED DREAMERS, THOSE DACA KIDS, THEY ARE GOING TO BE CERTIFIED AGAIN TO STAY IN THIS COUNTRY AND PUT ON A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP. THE IDEA THAT THEY ARE BEING SENT HOME BY THIS GUY, THEY ARE GOING TO A COUNTRY THEY'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. YOU ARE FIVE YEARS OLD, YOUR PARENTS ARE TAKING YOU ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE RIVER, AND IT IS ILLEGAL. THEY'VE BEEN HERE. MANY OF THEM ARE MODEL CITIZENS. OVER 20,000 OF THEM ARE FIRST RESPONDERS, TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE DURING THIS CRISIS. WE OWE THEM. PRESIDENT TRUMP: HE HAD EIGHT YEARS TO DO WHAT HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO DO. AND I'VE CHANGED -- WITHOUT HAVING A SPECIFIC -- WE GOT RID OF CATCH AND RELEASE. WE GOT RID OF A LOT OF HORRIBLE THINGS THAT THEY PUT IN AND THEY LIVED WITH. BUT HE HAD EIGHT YEARS HE WAS VICE PRESIDENT. HE DID NOTHING EXCEPT BUILD CAGES TO KEEP CHILDREN IN. KRISTEN: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN. MR. BIDEN: CATCH AND RELEASE, YOU KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT THERE? IF YOU HAD A FAMILY THAT CAME ACROSS AND THEY WERE ARRESTED, THEY WERE GIVEN A DATE TO SHOW UP FOR THEIR HEARING AND WERE RELEASED, AND THEY SHOWED UP FOR A HEARING. THIS IS THE FIRST PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES THAT ANYBODY SEEKING ASYLUM HAS TO DO IT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY. THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN AMERICA. YOU COME TO THE UNITED STATES AND YOU MAKE YOUR CASE. I SEEK ASYLUM BASED ON THE FOLLOWING PREMISE, WHY I DESERVE IT UNDER AMERICAN LAW. THEY ARE SITTING IN SQUALOR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER. KRISTEN: PRESIDENT TRUMP. PRESIDENT TRUMP: IT JUST SHOWS THAT HE HAS NO UNDERSTANDING OF IMMIGRATION. CATCH AND RELEASE IS A DISASTER. A MURDERER WOULD COME IN. A RAPIST WOULD COME IN. A VERY BAD PERSON WOULD COME IN. WE WOULD TAKE THEIR NAME. WE HAVE TO RELEASE THEM INTO OUR COUNTRY AND THEN YOU SAY THEY COME BACK. LESS THAN 1% OF THE PEOPLE COME BACK. WE HAVE TO SEND ICE OUT AND BORDER PATROL OUT TO FIND THEM. WE WOULD SAY COME BACK INTO YEARS, THREE YEARS, WE ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU A COURT CASE. WHEN YOU SAY THEY COME BACK, THEY DON'T COME BACK. THEY NEVER COME BACK. ONLY THE REALLY -- I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT THOSE WITH THE LOWEST IQ, THEY MIGHT COME BACK. KRISTEN: LET'S GIVE VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN A CHANCE TO RESPOND. PRESIDENT TRUMP: YOU DON'T KNOW THE LAW, JOE. MR. BIDEN: WHAT HE'S TELLING YOU IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. PRESIDENT TRUMP: CHECK IT OUT, THEY DON'T COME BACK. THEY TERMINATED IT SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. MR. BIDEN: WE HAVE 520 KIDS NOT KNOWING WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE AND LOST THEIR PARENTS. KRISTEN: LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR NEXT SECTION WHICH IS RACE IN AMERICA. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE WAY BLACK AND BROWN AMERICANS EXPERIENCE RACE IN THIS COUNTRY. PART OF THAT EXPERIENCE IS SOMETHING CALLED THE TALK. IT HAPPENS REGARDLESS OF CLASS AND INCOME. PARENTS FEEL THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PREPARE THEIR CHILDREN FOR THE CHANCE THEY COULD BE TARGETED INCLUDING BY THE POLICE FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN. MR. VICE PRESIDENT, I WANT YOU TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THESE FAMILIES. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THESE PARENTS FEAR FOR THEIR CHILDREN? MR. BIDEN: I DO. MY DAUGHTER IS A SOCIAL WORKER. SHE'S WRITTEN A LOT ABOUT THIS. SHE GETS HER GRADUATE DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I ENDED UP WORKING ON THE EAST SIDE OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, WAS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. I NEVER HAD TO TELL MY DAUGHTER, IF SHE'S PULLED OVER, MAKE SURE SHE PUTS BOTH HANDS ON TOP OF THE WHEEL AND DON'T REACH FOR THE GLOVE BOX, BECAUSE SOMEONE MAY SHOOT YOU. BUT A BLACK PARENT, NO MATTER HOW WEALTHY OR HOW POOR THEY ARE , HAS TO TEACH THEIR CHILD, WHEN YOU ARE WALKING DOWN THE STREET, DON'T HAVE A HOOD ON, MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU GET PULLED OVER, YES SIR, NO SIR, HANDS ON TOP OF THE WHEEL, BECAUSE YOU ARE THE VICTIM WHETHER YOU ARE A PERSON MAKING $300,000 A YEAR OR SOMEONE WHO IS ON FOOD STAMPS. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, THERE IS INSTITUTIONAL RACISM IN AMERICA AND WE HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, ALL MEN AND WOMEN ARE CREATED EQUAL. WE HAVE NEVER LIVED UP TO IT, BUT WE'VE CONSTANTLY BEEN MOVING THE NEEDLE FURTHER AND FURTHER TO INCLUSION, NOT EXCLUSION. THIS IS THE FIRST PRESIDENT THAT SAYS THAT IS THE END OF THAT. WE HAVE TO PROVIDE FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, BETTER EDUCATION, BETTER HEALTH CARE, BETTER ACCESS TO SCHOOLING, BETTER ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES TO START BUSINESSES. ALL THE THINGS WE CAN DO, AND I'VE LAID OUT A CLEAR PLAN TO DO THOSE THINGS, JUST TO GIVE PEOPLE A SHOT. IT IS ABOUT THE ABILITY TO HAVE WEALTH AS WELL AS TO BE FREE FROM VIOLENCE. KRISTEN: PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAME QUESTION. LET ME REMIND YOU THE QUESTION. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THESE PARENTS FEAR FOR THEIR CHILDREN? PRESIDENT TRUMP: YES I DO. AGAIN, HE'S BEEN IN GOVERNMENT 47 YEARS. HE NEVER DID A THING EXCEPT IN 1994 WHEN HE DID SUCH HARM TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY, AND HE CALLED THEM SUPER PREDATORS, AND HE SAID IT, SUPER PREDATORS, AND THEY HAVE NEVER LIVED THAT DOWN. 1994, YOUR CRIME BILL, THE SUPER PREDATORS. NOBODY HAS DONE MORE FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY THAN DONALD TRUMP. IF YOU LOOK, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, POSSIBLE EXCEPTION, NOBODY HAS DONE WHAT I'VE DONE. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, OBAMA AND JOE DIDN'T DO IT. I DON'T EVEN THINK THEY TRIED. THEY MIGHT HAVE WANTED TO DO IT, BUT IF YOU HAD TO SEE THE ARMS I HAD TO TWIST TO GET THAT DONE, IT WAS NOT A PRETTY PICTURE, AND EVERYBODY KNOWS IT, INCLUDING SOME VERY LIBERAL PEOPLE THAT CRIED IN MY OFFICE -- TWO WEEKS LATER THEY ARE OUT SAYING, WE HAVE TO DEFEAT HIM. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, PRISON REFORM, TIM SCOTT, A GREAT SENATOR FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, HE CAME IN WITH THIS INCREDIBLE IDEA. ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS. PEOPLE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT. BIGGEST BENEFICIARY, THE BLACK AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES. AND THEN HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. AFTER THREE YEARS OF COMING TO THE OFFICE -- I LOVE SOME OF THOSE GUYS -- THEY CAME TO THE OFFICE AND I SAID, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WHY DO YOU KEEP COMING BACK -- BECAUSE WE HAVE NO FUNDING -- YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK EVERY YEAR -- WE HAVE TO COME BACK. BECAUSE PRESIDENT OBAMA WOULD NEVER GIVE THEM LONG-TERM FUNDING AND I DID. AND I GAVE THEM MORE MONEY THAN THEY ASKED FOR. BECAUSE I SAID I THINK YOU NEED MORE AND I SAID THE ONLY BAD PART IS I MAY NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN BECAUSE I GOT VERY FRIENDLY WITH THEM AND THEY LIKE ME AND I LIKE THEM -- KRISTEN: WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT BOTH OF YOUR RECORDS, BUT YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT? MR. BIDEN: I NEVER SAID -- WHAT HE ACCUSED ME OF SAYING. IN 2000, AFTER THE CRIME BILL HAD BEEN IN THE LAW FOR A WHILE, THIS IS A GUY WHO SAID THE PROBLEM WITH THE CRIME BILL IS THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE IN JAIL. AND GO ON MY WEBSITE. GET THE QUOTE, THE DATE WHEN HE SAID IT. HE TALKED ABOUT MARAUDING GANGS. PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO MARAUDING OUR CITIES. THIS IS A GUY, WHETHER CENTRAL PARK FIVE, FIVE INNOCENT BLACK KIDS, HE PUSHED FOR MAKING SURE THEY GOT THE DEATH PENALTY. NONE OF THEM WERE GUILTY OF THE CRIMES THAT WERE SUGGESTED. AND GRANTED, HE DID IN FACT, HE COMMUTED 20 PEOPLE SENTENCES. WE COMMUTED OVER 1000 PEOPLES SENTENCES. THE VERY LAW HE'S TALKING ABOUT IS A LAW INITIATED BY BARACK OBAMA. AND WE ARE IN A SITUATION HERE, THE FEDERAL PRISON SYSTEM IS REDUCED BY 38 THOUSAND PEOPLE UNDER OUR ADMINISTRATION. THERE SHOULD BE NO MINIMUM MANDATORY'S IN THE LAW. THAT IS WHY I'M OFFERING $20 MILLION TO STATES TO CHANGE THEIR STATE LAWS. NO ONE SHOULD BE GOING TO JAIL BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DRUG PROBLEM. THEY SHOULD BE GOING TO REHABILITATION, NOT JAIL. WE SHOULD FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE SYSTEM AND THAT IS WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. PRESIDENT TRUMP: WHY DIDN'T HE DO IT FOUR YEARS AGO? EVEN LESS THAN THAT? YOU WERE VICE PRESIDENT. YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS YOU ARE GOING TO DO, BUT YOU WERE THERE, AND YOU GUYS DID NOTHING. I RAN BECAUSE OF YOU. I RAN BECAUSE OF BARACK OBAMA. IF I THOUGHT YOU DID A GOOD JOB, I WOULD HAVE NEVER RUN. I'M LOOKING AT YOU NOW. YOU ARE A POLITICIAN. KRISTEN: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT. MR. BIDEN: TELL YOU WHAT, I HOPE HE DOES LOOK AT ME BECAUSE WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE IS, YOU KNOW WHO I AM, YOU KNOW WHO HE IS, YOU KNOW HIS CHARACTER, YOU KNOW MY CHARACTER. YOU KNOW OUR REPUTATIONS FOR HONOR AND TELLING THE TRUTH. I'M ANXIOUS TO HAVE THIS RACE. I'M -- CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY IS ON THE BALLOT. LOOK AT US CLOSELY. KRISTEN: PLEASE RESPOND AND THEN -- PRESIDENT TRUMP: RUSSIA, UKRAINE, CHINA, IRAQ -- IF THIS IS TRUE, THEN HE'S A CORRUPT POLITICIAN. SO DON'T GIVE ME THE STUFF ABOUT HOW YOU ARE THIS INNOCENT BABY. THEY ARE CALLING YOU A CORRUPT POLITICIAN. KRISTEN: I WANT TO STAY ON THE ISSUE OF RACE. PRESIDENT TRUMP, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RACE RIGHT NOW AND I WANT TO STAY ON THE ISSUE OF RACE. MR. BIDEN: I HAVE TO RESPOND TO THAT. THERE ARE 50 FORMER NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE FOLKS WHO SAID THAT WHAT HE'S ACCUSING ME OF IS A RUSSIAN PLAN. THEY HAVE SAID THIS HAS ALL THE CHARACTERISTICS -- FIVE FORMER HEADS OF THE CIA, BOTH PARTIES, SAY WHAT HE'S SAYING IS A BUNCH OF GARBAGE. NOBODY BELIEVES IT EXCEPT HIM AND HIS GOOD FRIEND RUDY GIULIANI. PRESIDENT TRUMP: YOU MEAN THE LAPTOP IS NOW ANOTHER RUSSIA RUSSIA RUSSIA HOAX? THIS IS WHERE HE'S GOING. THE LAPTOP IS RUSSIA? KRISTEN: I WANT TO STAY ON THE ISSUE OF RACE. PRESIDENT TRUMP: YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING. HERE WE GO AGAIN WITH RUSSIA. KRISTEN: WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE ON THE ISSUE OF RACE. YOU DESCRIBE THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT AS A SYMBOL OF HATE. YOU SHARED A VIDEO OF A MAN CHANTING WHITE POWER. YOU SAID BLACK ATHLETES EXERCISING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS SHOULD BE FIRED. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO AMERICANS WHO SAY THAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO HATE AND RACIAL STRIFE? PRESIDENT TRUMP: THE FIRST TIME I EVER HEARD OF BLACK LIVES MATTER, THEY WERE CHANTING PIGS IN A BLANKET, TALKING ABOUT POLICE. PIGS IN A BLANKET, FRY THEM LIKE BACON. I SAID THAT IS A HORRIBLE THING. AND THEY WERE MARCHING DOWN THE STREET. AND THAT WAS MY FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER. I THOUGHT IT WAS A TERRIBLE THING. AS FAR AS MY RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL PEOPLE, I THINK I HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL PEOPLE. I AM THE LEAST RACIST PERSON IN THIS ROOM. KRISTEN: WHAT DO YOU SAY TO AMERICANS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT RHETORIC? PRESIDENT TRUMP: I GOT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AND PRISON REFORM AND OPPORTUNITY ZONES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. THEY CAN SAY ANYTHING. THEY CAN SAY ANYTHING. IT MAKES ME SAD BECAUSE I AM THE LEAST RACIST PERSON. I CAN'T EVEN SEE THE AUDIENCE BECAUSE IT IS SO DARK, BUT I DON'T CARE WHO IS IN THE AUDIENCE. I'M THE LEAST RACIST PERSON IN THIS ROOM. KRISTEN: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN. MR. BIDEN: ABRAHAM LINCOLN HERE IS ONE OF THE MOST RACIST PRESIDENTS WE'VE HAD IN MODERN HISTORY. HE POURS FUEL ON EVERY SINGLE RACIST FIRE. STARTED OFF HIS CAMPAIGN COMING DOWN THE ESCALATOR SAYING HE'S GOING TO GET RID OF THOSE MEXICAN RAPISTS. HE'S BANNED MUSLIMS BECAUSE THEY ARE MUSLIMS. HE'S MADE EVERYTHING WORSE ACROSS THE BOARD. HE SAYS ABOUT THE POOR BOYS, LAST TIME WE WERE ON STAGE, STAND DOWN AND STAND READY. COME ON. THIS GUY IS A DOG WHISTLE ABOUT AS BIG AS A FOGHORN. KRISTEN: PRESIDENT TRUMP, 10 SECONDS TO RESPOND. PRESIDENT TRUMP: HE MADE A REFERENCE TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN. WHERE DID THAT COME IN? MR. BIDEN: YOU SAID ABRAHAM LINCOLN. PRESIDENT TRUMP: I SAID NOT SINCE ABRAHAM LINCOLN HAS ANYBODY DONE WHAT I'VE DONE FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY. I DIDN'T SAY I'M ABRAHAM LINCOLN. I SAID NOT SINCE ABRAHAM LINCOLN HAS ANYBODY DONE WHAT I'VE DONE FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING OTHER THAN THE CRIME BILL WHICH PUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BLACK MEN, MOSTLY, IN JAIL. KRISTEN: ALL RIGHT. [CROSSTALK] PRESIDENT TRUMP: IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE VOTING -- TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING OUT THERE. KRISTEN: LET ME GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO RESPOND WITHIN THIS CONTEXT. THE CRIME BILLS YOU SUPPORTED CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCARCERATION OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUNG BLACK MEN WHO HAD SMALL AMOUNTS OF DRUGS IN THEIR POSSESSION. FAMILIES ARE STILL TO THIS DAY SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES. SPEAK TO THOSE FAMILIES. WHY SHOULD THEY VOTE FOR YOU? MR. BIDEN: IN THE 80'S, WE PASSED 100%, ALL SENATORS VOTED FOR IT, A BILL ON DRUGS AND HOW TO DEAL WITH DRUGS. IT WAS A MISTAKE. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CHANGE PARTICULARLY THE PORTION ON COCAINE. THAT IS WHY I'VE BEEN ARGUING THAT WE SHOULD NOT SEND ANYONE TO JAIL FOR A PURE DRUG OFFENSE. THEY SHOULD BE GOING INTO TREATMENT. ACROSS-THE-BOARD, THAT IS WHERE WE SHOULD BE SPENDING MONEY. THAT IS WHY I SET UP DRUG COURTS WHICH WERE NEVER FUNDED BY REPUBLICANS. THEY SHOULD NOT BE GOING TO JAIL FOR A DRUG OR ALCOHOL PROBLEM. THEY SHOULD BE GOING INTO TREATMENT. THAT IS WHAT I'M GOING TO GET DONE. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE SEEN THAT IT WAS A MISTAKE TO PASS THOSE LAWS. BUT THEY WERE NOT IN THE CRIME BILL. PRESIDENT TRUMP: BUT WHY DIDN'T HE GET IT DONE? ALL TALK, NO ACTION. THAT IS WHAT I'M GOING TO DO WHEN I BECOME PRESIDENT. YOU WERE VICE PRESIDENT ALONG WITH OBAMA, YOUR LEADER, FOR EIGHT YEARS. WHY DIDN'T YOU GET IT DONE? NOW YOU ARE SAYING YOU ARE GOING TO GET IT DONE BECAUSE YOU ARE ALL TALK AND NO ACTION. MR. BIDEN: WE GOT A LOT OF IT DONE. WE GOT 38,000 PRISONERS LESS, 38,000 PRISONERS RELEASED FROM FEDERAL PRISON. OVER 1000 PEOPLE GIVEN CLEMENCY. WE ARE THE ONES THAT PUT IN THE LEGISLATION SAYING WE CAN LOOK AT PATTERN AND PRACTICE OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND HOW THEY ARE CONDUCTING THEMSELVES. I COULD GO ON. BUT WE BEGAN THE PROCESS. WE LOST AN ELECTION. THAT IS WHY I'M RUNNING, TO WIN BACK THAT ELECTION AND CHANGE HIS TERRIBLE POLICIES. PRESIDENT TRUMP: WHY DIDN'T YOU DO IT IN THE EIGHT YEARS, A SHORT TIME AGO -- YOU JUST SAID, I'M GOING TO DO THAT, I'M GOING TO DO THIS -- YOU PUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MOSTLY BLACK YOUNG MEN IN PRISON, NOW YOU ARE GOING TO SAY YOU ARE GOING TO UNDO THAT. YOU HAD EIGHT YEARS WITH OBAMA. YOU ARE ALL TALK AND NO ACTION. KRISTEN: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON. MR. BIDEN: WE HAD A REPUBLICAN CONGRESS. THAT IS YOUR ANSWER. PRESIDENT TRUMP: YOU'VE GOT TO TALK THEM INTO IT, JOE. KRISTEN: WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ONTO TO OUR NEXT SECTION. PRESIDENT TRUMP: LIKE I DID WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM. KRISTEN: GENTLEMEN, WE'VE GOT TO GET ON TO CLIMATE CHANGE. YOU BOTH HAVE VERY DIFFERENT VISIONS ON CLIMATE CHANGE. PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU SAY ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS HAVE HURT JOBS. VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, YOU SAID YOU SEE ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE NEW JOBS. HOW WOULD YOU COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUPPORT JOB GROWTH, STARTING WITH YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP? PRESIDENT TRUMP: SO WE HAVE THE CLEAN TREES PROGRAM, WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, I DO LOVE THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT WHAT I WANT IS THE CLEANEST WATER, THE CLEANEST AIR. WE HAVE THE BEST, LOWEST NUMBER IN CARBON EMISSIONS, WHICH IS A BIG STANDARD THAT I NOTICED OBAMA GOES WITH ALL THE TIME. NOT JOE. I'M NOT SURE HE KNOWS WHAT IT REPRESENTS OR MEANS. AND WE HAVE THE BEST CARBON EMISSION NUMBERS THAT WE'VE HAD IN 35 YEARS UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION. WE ARE WORKING SO WELL WITH INDUSTRY BUT HERE'S WHAT WE CAN'T DO. LOOK AT CHINA, HOW FILTHY IT IS. LOOK AT RUSSIA. LOOK AT INDIA. IT IS FILTHY. THE AIR IS FILTHY. THE PARIS ACCORD, I TOOK US OUT BECAUSE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND WE WERE TREATED VERY UNFAIRLY. THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE AWAY OUR BUSINESSES. I WILL NOT SACRIFICE TENS OF MILLIONS OF JOBS, THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF COMPANIES, BECAUSE OF THE PARIS ACCORD. IT WAS SO UNFAIR. CHINA DOESN'T KICK IN UNTIL 2030. RUSSIA GOES BACK TO A LOW STANDARD. WE KICKED IN RIGHT AWAY. IT WOULD HAVE DESTROYED OUR BUSINESSES. WE HAVE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB. WE HAVE THE CLEANEST AIR, THE CLEANEST WATER, THE BEST CARBON EMISSION STANDARDS IN MANY YEARS. KRISTEN: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN. TWO MINUTES UNINTERRUPTED. MR. BIDEN: CLIMATE CHANGE AND CLIMATE WARMING, GLOBAL WARMING, IS AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO HUMANITY. WE HAVE A MORAL OBLIGATION TO DEAL WITH IT. AND WE ARE TOLD BY ALL THE LEADING SCIENTISTS IN THE WORLD, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME. WE ARE GOING TO PASS THE POINT OF NO RETURN IN EIGHT TO 10 YEARS. FOUR MORE YEARS OF THIS MAN ELIMINATING ALL THE REGULATIONS THAT WERE PUT IN BY US TO CLEAN UP THE CLIMATE, TO LIMIT EMISSIONS, WILL PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE WE ARE IN REAL TROUBLE. WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS LABOR, PEOPLE WORRIED ABOUT JOBS, TO SUPPORT MY CLIMATE PLAN. IT WILL CREATE MILLIONS OF NEW GOOD PAYING JOBS. WE ARE GOING TO INVEST. 500,000 -- EXCUSE ME, 50,000 CHARGING STATIONS ON OUR HIGHWAYS SO WE CAN OWN THE ELECTRIC CAR MARKET IN THE FUTURE. IN THE MEANTIME CHINA IS DOING THAT. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE 4 MILLION EXISTING BUILDINGS AND 2 MILLION EXISTING HOMES AND RETROFIT THEM SO THEY DON'T LEAK AS MUCH ENERGY. AND BY THE WAY, THE WHOLE IDEA OF WHAT THIS IS ALL GOING TO DO, IT IS GOING TO CREATE MILLIONS OF JOBS AND CLEAN THE ENVIRONMENT. HEALTH AND JOBS ARE AT STAKE. RIGHT NOW, WALL STREET FIRMS INDICATED THAT MY PLAN WILL IN FACT CREATE 18.6 MILLION JOBS, 7 MILLION MORE THAN HIS. THIS IS FROM WALL STREET. AND I'LL CREATE ONE TRILLION MORE IN ECONOMIC GROWTH THAN HIS PROPOSAL. NOT ON CLIMATE, JUST THE ECONOMY. PRESIDENT TRUMP: CAME OUT AND SAID VERY STRONGLY, $6,500 WILL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM FAMILIES UNDER HIS PLAN, THAT HIS PLAN IS ECONOMIC DISASTER. IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT HE WANTS TO DO -- YOU KNOW WHO DEVELOPED IT? AOC PLUS THREE. THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE CLIMATE. SHE'S GOT A GOOD LINE OF STUFF BUT SHE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THE CLIMATE. AND THEY ARE ALL HOPPING THROUGH HOOPS FOR AOC PLUS THREE. A REAL PLAN COSTS $100 TRILLION. IF WE HAD THE BEST YEAR IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY FOR 100 YEARS WE WOULD NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO A NUMBER LIKE THAT. THEY WANT TO TAKE BUILDINGS DOWN TO MAKE BIGGER WINDOWS INTO SMALLER WINDOWS. AS FAR AS THEY ARE CONCERNED, IF YOU HAD NO WINDOW, IT WOULD BE A LOVELY THING. THIS IS THE CRAZIEST PLAN. THIS WASN'T DONE BY SMART PEOPLE. THIS WASN'T DONE BY ANYBODY, FRANKLY. THEY WANT TO SPEND $100 TRILLION. THAT IS THEIR REAL NUMBER. $100 TRILLION. THEY WANT TO KNOCK DOWN BUILDINGS AND BUILD NEW BUILDINGS WITH TINY SMALL WINDOWS AND MANY OTHER THINGS. KRISTEN: LET ME ASK THE VICE PRESIDENT TO RESPOND. WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. I HAVE A NUMBER OF MORE QUESTIONS. MR. BIDEN: I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE COMES UP WITH THESE NUMBERS. $100 TRILLION -- GIVE ME A BREAK. THIS PLAN IS ENDORSED BY EVERY MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP AND EVERY LABOR GROUP, LABOR, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE FUTURE LIES IN US BEING ABLE TO BREATHE AND THEY KNOW THERE ARE GOOD JOBS IN GETTING US THERE. THE FASTEST GROWING INDUSTRY IN AMERICA IS THE ELECTRIC -- EXCUSE ME, SOLAR ENERGY AND WIND. HE THINKS WIND CAUSES CANCER, WINDMILLS. THE FASTEST GROWING JOBS AND THEY PAY GOOD PREVAILING WAGES. $45, $50 AN HOUR. WE CAN GROW AND WE CAN BE CLEANER. KRISTEN: PRESIDENT TRUMP. PRESIDENT TRUMP: WE ARE ENERGY INDEPENDENT FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE DON'T NEED ALL THESE COUNTRIES THAT WE HAD TO FIGHT WAR OVER. WE ARE ENERGY INDEPENDENT. I KNOW MORE ABOUT WIND THAN YOU DO. IT IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, KILLS ALL THE BIRDS, VERY INTERMITTENT, GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS, AND THEY HAPPEN TO MAKE THE WINDMILLS IN GERMANY AND CHINA. AND THE FUMES COMING UP TO MAKE THESE MASSIVE WINDMILLS IS MORE THAN ANYTHING THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WITH NATURAL GAS. MR. BIDEN: FIND ME A SCIENTIST WHO SAYS THAT. PRESIDENT TRUMP: I LOVE SOLAR BUT SOLAR DOESN'T HAVE IT YET. IT IS NOT POWERFUL YET TO REALLY RUN OUR BIG, BEAUTIFUL FACTORIES THAT WE NEED TO COMPETE WITH THE WORLD. MR. BIDEN: FALSE. PRESIDENT TRUMP: IT IS ALL A PIPE DREAM BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE GREATEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD, BUT IF YOU WANT TO GET RID OF -- WHAT ABOUT FRACKING? KRISTEN: LET ME ALLOW THE VICE PRESIDENT TO RESPOND. MR. BIDEN: I NEVER SAID I OPPOSE FRACKING. PRESIDENT TRUMP: YOU SAID IT ON TAPE. MR. BIDEN: SUGAR TAKE. PUT IT ON YOUR WEBSITE. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, HE'S FLATLINING. KRISTEN: WOULD YOU RULE OUT BANNING FRACKING? MR. BIDEN: MR. BIDEN: I DO RULE OUT BANNING FRACKING BECAUSE WE NEED OTHER INDUSTRIES TO ULTIMATELY GET TO COMPLETE ZERO OMISSIONS BY 2025. WHAT I WILL DO WITH FRACKING OVER TIME IS MAKE SURE WE CAN CAPTURE THE EMISSIONS FROM FRACKING, CAPTURE THE EMISSIONS FROM GAS. WE CAN DO THAT BY INVESTING MONEY, BUT IT IS A TRANSITION TO THAT. KRISTEN: I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. PRES. TRUMP: EXCUSE ME -- HE WAS AGAINST FRACKING. HE SAID IT. I WILL SHOW IT TO YOU TOMORROW. UNTIL HE GOT THE NOMINATION, WENT TO PENNSYLVANIA. PENNSYLVANIA, HE WILL BE AGAINST IT VERY SOON. MR. BIDEN: FRACKING ON FEDERAL LAND, I SAID. KRISTEN: LET ME ASK THIS FINAL QUESTION IN THIS SECTION. PRESIDENT TRUMP, PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO LIVE NEAR OIL REFINERIES AND CHEMICAL PLANTS. IN TEXAS, THERE ARE FAMILIES WHO WORRY THE PLANTS NEAR THEM ARE MAKING THEM SICK. YOUR ADMINISTRATION ROLLED BACK REGULATIONS ON THESE FACILITIES. WHY SHOULD THESE FAMILIES GIVE YOU ANOTHER FOUR YEARS IN OFFICE? PRES. TRUMP: THE FAMILIES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ARE EMPLOYED HEAVILY AND ARE MAKING MORE MONEY THAN THEY HAVE EVER MADE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS WE PRODUCED FOR HISPANIC OR BLACK OR ASIAN, IT IS NINE TIMES GREATER THE PERCENTAGE GAINED IN THREE YEARS THAN IT WAS UNDER EIGHT YEARS OF THE TWO OF THEM, TO PUT IT NICELY. NINE TIMES MORE. I HAVE NOT HEARD THE NUMBERS OR THE STATISTICS YOU ARE SAYING, BUT THEY ARE MAKING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY ECONOMICALLY. I SAVED IT AGAIN A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO WHEN OIL WAS CRASHING BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP, WE GOT SAUDI ARABIA, MEXICO AND RUSSIA TO CUT WAY BACK. WE SAVED OUR OIL INDUSTRY AND NOW IT IS VERY VIBRANT. EVERYONE HAS VERY INEXPENSIVE GASOLINE. REMEMBER THAT. KRISTEN: YOUR RESPONSE? MR. BIDEN: MY RESPONSE IS THOSE PEOPLE LIVE ON WHAT WE CALL FENCE LINES. HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THIS. THEY LIVE NEAR CHEMICAL PLANTS AND REFINERIES THAT POLLUTE. I USED TO LIVE NEAR THAT WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN CLAYMONT, DELAWARE. THERE ARE MORE OIL REFINERIES IN DELAWARE THAN HOUSTON AT THE TIME. MY MOTHER USED TO DRIVE ME TO SCHOOL, THERE USED TO BE AN OIL SLICK ON THE WINDOW. THAT IS WHY SO MANY PEOPLE IN MY STATE WERE DYING OF CANCER. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU ARE PAYING THEM, IT MATTERS HOW YOU KEEP THEM SAFE. Y IMPOSE -- YOU IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS ON THE POLLUTANTS COMING OUT OF THE FENCE LINE. KRISTEN: I HAVE ONE FINAL QUESTION. PRES. TRUMP: WOULD YOU CLOSE DOWN -- MR. BIDEN: I WOULD TRANSITION FROM THE OIL INDUSTRY, YES. THAT IS A BIG STATEMENT. KRISTEN: WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? MR. BIDEN: BECAUSE THE OIL INDUSTRY POLLUTES SIGNIFICANTLY. IF YOU LET ME FINISH THE STATEMENT, BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE REPLACED BY RENEWABLE ENERGY OVER TIME. OVER TIME. I STOPPED GIVING THE OIL INDUSTRY FEDERAL SUBSIDIES. HE WON'T GIVE FEDERAL SUBSIDIES TO SOLAR AND WIND. WHY ARE WE GIVING IT TO THE OIL INDUSTRY? PRES. TRUMP: WE ACTUALLY DO GIVE SOLAR AND WIND. IN TERMS OF BUSINESS, BASICALLY WHAT HE IS SAYING IS HE IS GOING TO DESTROY THE OIL INDUSTRY. WILL YOU REMEMBER THAT, TEXAS? WILL YOU REMEMBER THAT, PENNSYLVANIA, OKLAHOMA? KRISTEN: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, RESPOND AND I WILL GET TO THE FINAL QUESTION. MR. BIDEN: HE TAKES EVERYTHING OUT OF CONTEXT. WE HAVE TO MOVE TOWARD NET ZERO OMISSIONS. THE FIRST -- EMISSIONS. BY 2050 TOTALLY. KRISTEN: WE ARE FINISHED WITH THIS. WE HAVE TO MOVE ON TO OUR FINAL QUESTION. MR. BIDEN: I WILL REJOIN THE PARIS ACCORD AND MAKE CHINA ABIDE BY WHAT THEY AGREED TO. KRISTEN: THIS FIRST QUESTION DOES GO TO YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP. IMAGINE THIS IS YOUR INAUGURATION DAY. WHAT WILL YOU SAY IN YOUR ADDRESS TO AMERICANS WHO DID NOT VOTE FOR YOU? YOU WILL EACH HAVE ONE MINUTE. PRES. TRUMP: WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY TOTALLY SUCCESSFUL AS IT WAS PRIOR TO THE PLAGUE COMING IN FROM CHINA. NOW WE ARE DOING RECORD NUMBERS. 11.4 MILLION JOBS IN A SHORT TIME, ETC. BEFORE THE PLAGUE CAME IN, I WAS GETTING CALLS FROM PEOPLE THAT WOULD NOT NORMALLY CALL ME. THEY WANTED TO GET TOGETHER. WE HAD THE BEST BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY, HISPANIC, WOMEN, ASIAN, PEOPLE WITH DIPLOMAS, WITH NO DIPLOMAS, EVERYONE HAD THE BEST NUMBERS. THE OTHER SIDE WANTED TO UNIFY. SUCCESS IS GOING TO BRING US TOGETHER. WE ARE ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS, BUT I AM CUTTING TAXES AND HE WANTS TO RAISE EVERYBODY'S TAXES AND PUT NEW REGULATIONS ON EVERYTHING. IF HE GETS IN, YOU WILL HAVE A DEPRESSION THE LIKES OF WHICH YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN. YOUR 401(K)S WILL GO TO HELL AND IT WILL BE A SAD DAY FOR THIS COUNTRY. KRISTEN: VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, SAME QUESTION. WHAT WILL YOU SAY IN YOUR INAUGURAL ADDRESS TO AMERICANS WHO DID NOT VOTE FOR YOU? MR. BIDEN: I AM AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT. I REPRESENT ALL OF YOU WHETHER YOU VOTE FOR ME OR AGAINST ME. I WILL GIVE YOU HOPE. WE WILL CHOOSE SCIENCE OVER FICTION, HOPE OVER FEAR. WE WILL CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE WE HAVE IN NORMA'S OPPORTUNITIES -- ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITIES. WE CAN GROW THIS ECONOMY. AT THE SAME TIME WE CAN MAKE SURE OUR ECONOMY IS BEING MOTIVATED BY CLEAN ENERGY, CREATING MILLIONS OF NEW JOBS. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO. AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WHAT IS ON THE BALLOT IS THE CHARACTER OF THIS COUNTRY. DECENCY, HONOR, RESPECT, TREATING PEOPLE WITH DIGNITY, MAKING SURE EVEN ONE -- EVERYONE HAS AN EVEN CHANCE. YOU HAVE NOT BEEN GETTING THAT THE LAST FOUR YEARS. KRISTEN: I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR A ROBUST HOUR AND A HALF. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. PRESIDENT TRUMP, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN. THANK YOU TO BELMONT UNIVERSITY FOR HOSTING US AND THANK YOU TO THOSE WATCHING TONIGHT. ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 3. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE. THANK YOU, EVERYONE, AND HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. [APPLAUSE] [CAMERAS CLICKING] [INDISTINCT CHATTER] ANNOUNCER: NOW IT IS TIME TO HEAR FROM YOU AND GET YOUR REACTION TO THIS FINAL DEBATE OF 2020. WE WILL PUT THE NUMBERS UP ON THE SCREEN IF YOU WANT TO DIAL IN.