President Trump says he is not 'wasting his time' with virtual debates; reaction from former 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
President Trump, they are trying
President Trump. They are trying
to protect Biden. Everybody is,
I think, that im better to a
point, and I feel better than I
did. I jokingly said twenty years ago.
I feel perfect
im the leader and I cant be
like Biden where I hang out in a
basement every day.
Sure if I wanted to hang out in
a basement, I wouldnt catch it,
but I meet a lot of people and I
have to im the president of the
country.
I cant hang around in a
basement,
Steve Fox NEWS alert. President
Obama T outraged over next week
s plan announced on the
presidential debate and Joe
Biden announces. He will be there.
Former democratic presidential
candidate, PETE Buttigieg helped
Kamala Harris prepare for last
nights. Debate
hes. Also the author of the new
book called Trust, and he
joins us right now from SALT
Lake
Mayor PETE Good Morning to you
good morning, thanks for
having me on
Steve, you bet and theres your
book right there.
So what do you make of the
President saying, if its
going to be virtual, its not
worth my time
well its too bad?
I dont know why the president
wont participate in a debate.
All of us have had to get used
to virtual formats right
parents are, you know, having to
deal with e learning, which in
some cases is not what were
used to well is always not what
were used to
were having to take meetings
over zoom
its, not something I think most
of us enjoy, but its a safety
measure, and I think part of why
the u dot S is falling behind is
badly behind the rest of the
developed world on dealing
with the pandemic is because
every time theres been a choice
between doing something in a way,
thats, more safe or less safe.
This president seems to push for
less safe.
I think its also a reflection
of the weakness of his campaign
when you see campaigns getting
the kind of bad news that hes
been getting through this month.
A lot of times youll see these
kinds of increased arguments,
overrules withdrawing from
opportunities a little bit of
flailing there and its too bad,
because I think the more the
american people can hear two
candidates side by side, even if
its virtual, the better.
Of course, the only reason were
here in the first place is that
the President of the United
States is still contagious as
far as we know with a deadly
disease which reflects the
overall problem, and I dont
know why youd want to be in a
room with other people if you
were contagious with a deadly
disease and you care about other
people,
Steve sure,
maybe the president doesnt
care about other people,
Steve and the campaign Mayor
PETE had said by then he could
have had a couple of negative
tests. We dont know at that
point
its all speculation, but lets
talk a little bit about the
debate. Last night
you prepared Kamala Harris.
She seemed she well prepared.
I understand you in practicing
where you played MIKE Pence, you
threw every curve ball. You could
at her to get her ready.
How did you get that fly to land
on his head
laughter
ill, tell you. That was the one
thing that we werent prepared
for, and you know I was in the
hall, so I didnt even see it
and it goes to show the
difference between the
experience and the energy
where youre in the hall and
what gets the most attention on
tv
I dont know who sent that fly
in.
I hope the fly is okay,
Steve. The fly has a twitter
account now
Mayor PETE, one thing that people
are buzzing about today is why
wouldnt she answer the question
see what you did there
Steve? Why wouldnt she answer
the question: will Biden Slash Harris
move to pack the court,
so I think what youre see
Ing is an effort to use that
to distract from a much more
immediate issue in front of us.
Look. The american people believe
that the winner of this election
should choose the next Supreme
Court, Justice and Senator
Harris and Joe Biden, and for
that matter I agree with
the majority of the american
people that that be. The right
thing to do,
I mean remember, were not just
talking about an election coming
up
were talking about an election
underway, something like
five million Americans have already
voted, and you know there are
real consequences to this.
The affordable care act case is
hitting the court in a matter of
weeks.
If it gets struck down pre
existing coverage gone,
we just saw two conservative
justices, Justices, Alito and
Thomas. I believe, write a
document where, between the lines
you can tell they want to
overturn marriage equality.
You had Senator Cruz on before
his book is about the difference
that one vote can make on the
Supreme Court.
My marriage exists by one vote
on the Supreme Court.
Weve got some really important,
immediate things at stake right
now in a debate coming before
the Senate in a matter of days,
and we want to make sure that
efforts to distract from that
dont succeed, because this is
one of the most important things
that Americans are voting on
when theyre voting on who the
next president is going to
be
Steve. Sure weve had a number
of guests from both side of the
aisle. This morning, talking
about what they thought their
representative, how well they
did?
What do you think Kamala Harris
was particularly effective at
last night.
Well, I thought she was
terrific.
She was able to repeatedly hold
vice President Pence and Donald
Trump accountable for their
failures to protect the american
people from the coronavirus.
The fact that the VP is in
charge of the task force and
were doing the worst of any
country in the developed world.
I also appreciated that she
stood up for american troops.
The president of the United
States, calling those who served
suckers and losers, saying he
didnt understand whats in it
for them. While he was standing
on the ground of
Steve Right, but Mayor PETE, you
know the president has said
knows what section sixty means
and the way he talked about.
Folks, like John Mccain
Steve, I hated to interrupt you,
but you know the president has
denied that particular story
right, but we know hes lying
because even in the middle of
Steve, how do we know hes lying
well, because part of his
denial was he said I never
called John Mccain a loser and
anybody with Twitter can go see
he did so to see he was
lying in that part of his
sentence, but not another part.
This was a guy back when he was
a wealthy young man in New York,
born to privilege, thought to
himself im going to let some
sucker go to Vietnam in my place
and pretended to be disabled.
If you really believe the
president now on this kind
of stuff, ive got a bridge to
sell you
Steve all right. Do you think it
has been an effective strategy?
And I know your side says that
Biden Harris is ahead in the
polls for Mr Biden and
Senator Harris not to really
speak to the press.
I know when you were running for
president. You know you
talked to all of the reporters
every day.
You think this is an effective
strategy going forward.
Well, of course, they are
doing press, they are doing it
in a way thats consistent with
safety and consistent with the
campaign strategy,
obviously its a winning
strategy in the sense that our
campaign is winning- and I think
you know the really remarkable
thing happening now is how many
republicans are coming to
endorse. Joe Biden,
I think, were up to two former
chairs of the Rnc now and folks,
like Cindy Mccain, really laying
out the fact that you can either
be a John Mccain Republican or
you can be a Donald Trump
Republican.
You got to pick one or the
other, so you know in
terms of the coalition thats
growing the Democrats, the
independents and remarkable
number of Republicans all coming
together, saying they want Joe
Biden to be the next president
id say this strategy is working
pretty well,
but were not taking anything
for granted. Pushing hard
youll see the president and the
vice president, Joe Biden and
Kamala Harris traveling to swing
states and campaigning safely,
because they respect the health
and safety of those around them,
but campaigning in person as
much as they safely can to
make sure we take no vote for
granted
Steve all right, mayor, PETE
Buttigieg. Once upon a time the
mayor of South Bend Indiana
ran for President Sir.
Thank you very much for joining.
Transcript generated on 2020-10-17.