1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,119 Speaker 1: So Biden has gone came from nowhere, not nowhere, nowhere, 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: but today no one expected it. I don't think Jeff 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Mason is the White House correspondent for right as he's 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: in Delaware and is with us morning. And to you, 5 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: if I asked you twenty four hours ago, would this 6 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: unfold as it's unfolded in the last couple of hours, 7 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: you would have told me what. 8 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 2: I probably would have told you. I don't know, although 9 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 2: I also probably would have told you. I wouldn't have 10 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 2: expected something to happen on Sunday, and it has. There's 11 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 2: been a wave of calls from Democratic lawmakers, donors, others 12 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 2: for President Biden to step down. Last week I reported 13 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 2: on Thursday, I believe that he was soul searching and 14 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 2: thinking about it, taking it seriously. On Friday, his campaign 15 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 2: chare came out on television and said he was still 16 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 2: in and committed as ever. And so it felt like 17 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,639 Speaker 2: Friday Saturday like he was committed to staying in. And 18 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 2: then today he released his letter that he's stepping up side. 19 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 2: So it's both a surprise and not a surprise. It's 20 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 2: just been really hard to predict because he has part 21 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 2: of the time really dug in, and part of the 22 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 2: time showed a willingness to listen to what people were 23 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 2: telling him. 24 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: When does he get back to Washington's speak to the 25 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: country and is there a vacuum in the ensuing dies? 26 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 2: Oh, I don't think there's a vacuum. Keep in mind, 27 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 2: he's not stepping down from the presidency. He's just stepping 28 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,479 Speaker 2: down from the candidacy for re election. They haven't said 29 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 2: when he's returning to Washington. He's still convalescing from COVID 30 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: nineteen here in Delaware where I am now as well, 31 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 2: and they haven't given us a clear heads up on 32 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 2: when he's going to return, but I would expect it 33 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 2: to be earlier midweek of this week. 34 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: Will this be an open convention or will they look 35 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: to stitch Harris up by the time they get there. 36 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 2: Those are questions that are still being answered, and there 37 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 2: are people who believe in both possibilities. Certainly there would, 38 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 2: They'll have to go through the convention process either way. 39 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 2: The question is whether or not she'll have any rivals, 40 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 2: and whether anyone stands up against her and gets enough 41 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:14,559 Speaker 2: delegates to vote for them to be a reasonable competitor. 42 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: Right now, certainly having President Biden's endorsement, which she has 43 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:21,799 Speaker 2: is a huge feather in her cap, as it were. 44 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 2: And she has, of course also the campaign infrastructure that 45 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 2: they built together, although there's some questions about how that 46 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 2: will be transferred now, so that's something that we'll be 47 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 2: watching and reporting on in the coming day. 48 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 1: Just what I was about to ask, what happens to 49 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: the money? 50 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, the wisdom at the beginning of all of 51 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 2: this that we got was that the money at least 52 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 2: that's been raised for the campaign, not for the Democratic 53 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 2: Party but large would be hers to keep. But then 54 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,359 Speaker 2: I also heard last week from a donor source that 55 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 2: that money could all be transferred to the Democratic Party 56 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 2: and then it would be available to whichever candidate ends 57 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:01,799 Speaker 2: up ascending. So I think there are still some question 58 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: marks around it. The one thing there's not a question 59 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 2: mark around is that she is the front runner, and 60 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 2: she's been the front runner even before President Biden endorsed 61 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 2: her today and before he made his final decision to 62 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 2: step aside. But that doesn't mean everyone in the party 63 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 2: is happy about her being at the top of the ticket. 64 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 2: And I wrote a story about that today actually before 65 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 2: President Biden's announcement that there are some who are big 66 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 2: proponents of Vice President Harris, and there are some who 67 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 2: are still very worried that she would not be able 68 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 2: to beat Donald Trump. 69 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: So a two part question then Harris v. Trump can 70 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 1: she win? Or two anyone v Trump? Can they win? 71 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 2: Well? Certainly Democrats believe that they can beat Trump, for sure, 72 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 2: but the last three weeks have not been helpful to 73 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 2: that cause, and not just because of the President taking 74 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 2: this much time to make his decision, but also because 75 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 2: of the back and forth within the party and the 76 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 2: lack of unity in the party compared to what seems 77 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 2: like a pretty unified front on the Republican side, certainly 78 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 2: at the Republican convention where President former President Trump accepted 79 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 2: the Republican nomination. But it can either side still win. Absolutely. 80 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 2: Trump is doing better in the polls, but it is 81 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 2: as it doesn't. It feels like we're close to the election, 82 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 2: and we are. November is not that far away, but 83 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 2: it's not next week, and so both sides have time 84 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 2: to build up support, to raise money, and to to 85 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 2: work on their get out the vote efforts before the election. 86 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: If you go back to Butler, fast forward to this morning, 87 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: can you believe this. 88 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 2: I mean no, it has been one of the most 89 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 2: unbelievable news weeks in my career as a reporter. So 90 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 2: it's you sort of head spinning, I think for the 91 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 2: public as well. Fascinating and we'll see what the next 92 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 2: step is you get. 93 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: Some day, Jip appreciated Whitehouse correspondent for Wanters Jim misen 94 00:04:58,200 --> 00:04:59,359 Speaker 1: out of Delaware this morning. 95 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 2: More from the Mic Asking Breakfast. Listen live to News 96 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 2: Talk Set B from six am weekdays, or follow the 97 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 2: podcast on iHeartRadio.