WEBVTT - Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) Talks Sticking By Biden

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio news. I'm Ris in Washington

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<v Speaker 1>with a special guest, the Democratic Congresswoman Heidie Stevens of Michigan.

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<v Speaker 1>I am axious, abati.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you so much, John, and Congresswoman Stevens. You're also

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<v Speaker 2>going to be in Michigan tomorrow with Biden. Yes, I

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<v Speaker 2>am a star supporter of him, and you're not backing down.

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<v Speaker 1>Why. I'm really enthusiastic about this campaign and what we've

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<v Speaker 1>built in Michigan. I've been rigorously on it since the

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<v Speaker 1>beginning of the year. Detroit is at its lowest levels

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<v Speaker 1>of unemployment and fifty years we have manufacturing growth. I

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<v Speaker 1>have a really popular governor, Gretcham Whitmer, who's endorsed this president,

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<v Speaker 1>who's a co chair of his campaign, who's met with

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<v Speaker 1>him since some of the debate fallout and is sticking

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<v Speaker 1>by him. And the commitment to stand up for women's

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<v Speaker 1>reproductive rights, to tackle our gun violence epidemic that has

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<v Speaker 1>hit us pretty hard in Michigan, and there's a team

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<v Speaker 1>right have built an incredible ground operation and it's hard

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<v Speaker 1>work with persuasion voters, with turnout. I don't want to

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<v Speaker 1>turn away from this though now I want to keep going.

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<v Speaker 1>Fifteen some weeks left. Let's bring this over the finish line.

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<v Speaker 1>And I believe and know that the Biden Hearris ticket

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<v Speaker 1>is the one to get this done for us.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you think he's the best candidate though, I do.

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<v Speaker 2>You see the polling today from Washington Post ABC more

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<v Speaker 2>than fifty six Democrats say six and ten independents say

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<v Speaker 2>he should step beside. Is it that he's the best

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<v Speaker 2>candidate at this moment or there's concern about basically telling

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<v Speaker 2>a sitting president, the leader of the party, that it's

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<v Speaker 2>time to go.

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<v Speaker 1>Look, the stakes are high. The other thing that the

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<v Speaker 1>polling is showing you is that people are freaked out

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<v Speaker 1>about Donald Trump coming back. What that means for young women,

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<v Speaker 1>what that means for our economy that spiraled out of

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<v Speaker 1>control when he was president during a global pandemic that

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<v Speaker 1>was not well hand him.

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<v Speaker 2>And so polling also shows people think Trump would be

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<v Speaker 2>better when it comes to things like the economy, which

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<v Speaker 2>our polling shows is still the number one issue.

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<v Speaker 1>It is the number one issue, and it's not just

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<v Speaker 1>look at the facts today. Look, polling is absolutely important.

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<v Speaker 1>I have to look at polling and I have had

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<v Speaker 1>polls that have led me down a path of success,

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<v Speaker 1>and I've had polls that have led me wrong before.

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<v Speaker 1>But what I know is that people are concerned about Trump.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, I hear that on the ground in Oakland County, Michigan.

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<v Speaker 1>It is pulpable. People want to win. These stakes are high. Obviously,

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<v Speaker 1>when President Biden was gathering his delegate votes and campaigning

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<v Speaker 1>in the small primary that he had earlier this year,

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<v Speaker 1>it wasn't one hundred percent clear every step of the

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<v Speaker 1>way that Trump was going to be the nominee. Now

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<v Speaker 1>he's hiding in mar A Lago. We don't see him

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<v Speaker 1>really very much. He's come to Michigan maybe once or twice,

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<v Speaker 1>a few surrogates here and there. Pretty quiet from him.

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<v Speaker 1>And in part we've got a president who's governing, who's

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<v Speaker 1>leading NATO, who's got the backing of international leaders who

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<v Speaker 1>support his plan. We have, by the way, a major

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<v Speaker 1>foreign aid package that got done in a divided government.

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<v Speaker 1>That's exactly what Joe Biden asked for.

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<v Speaker 2>I think the concern is not so much can he

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<v Speaker 2>lead right now? It's what does the next four years mean?

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<v Speaker 2>And you mentioned Governor Whitmer. She was on CNN last

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<v Speaker 2>night and she was asked should he take a cognitive test?

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<v Speaker 2>Her answer was it wouldn't hurt. Do you agree with

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<v Speaker 2>the governor? Yeah?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, Trump joked around about his own cognitive tests, and

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<v Speaker 1>you know that he was some super genius and was

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<v Speaker 1>spouting off things. Look, anything the president needs to do

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<v Speaker 1>to reassure people. I have been recently with him when

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<v Speaker 1>he announced tariffs on Chinese evs and critical minerals. I

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<v Speaker 1>was in the Oval Office with him for an extended

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<v Speaker 1>period of time. I haven't seen one decision coming out

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<v Speaker 1>of this administration under his leadership that concerns me. I

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<v Speaker 1>also know that we have got a message for the

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<v Speaker 1>next four years. It's clear people are spooked. It's also clear, though,

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<v Speaker 1>people are united to do whatever it takes to beat

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<v Speaker 1>Donald Trump, and we've got the campaign to do it.

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<v Speaker 1>We really do.

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<v Speaker 2>You've spent time with him recently, You're going to be

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<v Speaker 2>with him tomorrow. You said, there's not a decision that

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<v Speaker 2>makes you rethink this that's coming from President Biden. Not

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<v Speaker 2>a decision you see that concerns you. But what about

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<v Speaker 2>his speech, the way he walks actual deterioration is health.

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<v Speaker 2>Have you seen any of.

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<v Speaker 1>That not really to be honest with you. I mean, look,

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<v Speaker 1>I know I can't tell people to unsee what they

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<v Speaker 1>saw on the debate. I thought he answered it honestly. Look,

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<v Speaker 1>it's not news that he is the age that he is.

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<v Speaker 1>I look at this and I see flawless execution from

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<v Speaker 1>this administration. COVID relief, infrastructure dollars, not just bills that

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<v Speaker 1>have gotten pasted, but things that are being executed flawlessly,

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<v Speaker 1>like the Chips Act, which is so important to our

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<v Speaker 1>Michigan manufacturing economy. Something that President Biden has championed his

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<v Speaker 1>campaign message is let's finish the job. There is more

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<v Speaker 1>to do. It's promises made, promise has kept. There are

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<v Speaker 1>more things that we need to accomplish here that are

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<v Speaker 1>on the horizon, paid leave, funding for our public schools,

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<v Speaker 1>support for our educators, the next generation. This is a

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<v Speaker 1>real campaign. And look, this is a tough moment. It's

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<v Speaker 1>been quiet. We've had twenty four to seven Trump TV

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<v Speaker 1>and his convictions and all that insanity. I don't want

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<v Speaker 1>to go back to that. My voters in Michigan are

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<v Speaker 1>terrified of going back to that. The former president pretends

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<v Speaker 1>that he supports unions, goes to a non union shop.

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<v Speaker 1>We worked for the UAW, we got the UAW endorsement.

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<v Speaker 1>We've had this whole process here where weeks out from

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<v Speaker 1>our own convention. We got to stand up to this

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<v Speaker 1>trus team.

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<v Speaker 2>Leaders our concerned Washington Post this morning, there was a

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<v Speaker 2>behind the scenes meeting yesterday Sean Fain. President Biden went

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<v Speaker 2>and stood on a picket line with this man. He

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<v Speaker 2>is now voicing his concerns. So when you're in Michigan

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<v Speaker 2>and you hear from union leaders, Trump is chipping away

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<v Speaker 2>at these people Michigan, potentially Biden can movese. That's what

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<v Speaker 2>Congresswomen's Lackin even said on a reason Donor call.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, look, we want we want the winning campaign. And

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<v Speaker 1>our union leaders they're deploying their members to knockdoors to

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<v Speaker 1>evangelize this effort. And that's what you do in closed

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<v Speaker 1>door meetings, you know, you do say, hey, what's our plan,

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<v Speaker 1>how we're going to do this. We're the Democratic Party,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, differing opinions, expression of opinions. I've had four

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<v Speaker 1>to five Republican members of Congress from Michigan who've either

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<v Speaker 1>left their party, impeached the former president, or got voted out.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean give me a break like this is how

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<v Speaker 1>it works in our party. It's a good and healthy thing.

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<v Speaker 1>And I'm going to tell you something else that I

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<v Speaker 1>know about Joe Biden. He is the ultimate comeback king.

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<v Speaker 1>He's the most underestimated individual in American politics. He always

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<v Speaker 1>has been. He's got a good north star. He's tapped

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<v Speaker 1>into his faith, He's been through things that have tested

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<v Speaker 1>him for this moment. And yes, he's our older, wiser president.

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<v Speaker 1>He has not steered us wrong, and he has got

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<v Speaker 1>a vision alongside this amazing team that he has to

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<v Speaker 1>continue to win

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<v Speaker 2>The future for US Commerceoman Haley Stevens, thank you so

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<v Speaker 2>much for your time.