1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: Perhaps the toughest job in Washington is not being President 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: United States. It's actually being Chief of staff to the 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: President of the United States. The average chief of staff 4 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: to the President of the United States lasts about eighteen months. 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 1: I sat down recently with Ron Klain, the current Chief 6 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: of Staff to the President United States, and asked him 7 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: what this job actually entails and why it's so difficult. 8 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: For those who don't know Ron's background, it's quite amazing. 9 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: He's actually served his country for many, many years, and 10 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: among those positions are Chief Council for the Senate Judiciary 11 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: Committee under then Chairman Joe Biden, Associate Council for Judicial 12 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: Selection under President Clinton, Chief of Staff and Counselor to 13 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: the Attorney General Janet Reno, Staff director of the Senate 14 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: Democratic Leadership Committee under Leader Tom Dashell, and chief of 15 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 1: staff to Vice President Al Gore. In addition, uh He 16 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: also served as Assistant to the President and chief of 17 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: staff to Vice President Biden in the Obama administration, and 18 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: returned after serving several years in that position to serve 19 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: as the White House E Bowler Response Coordinator. Think you've 20 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: got the perfect resume for this job, but my question 21 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: is you know so much about being chief of staff 22 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: the people, and you know so much about the White House. 23 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: Don't you know that being chief of sta after the 24 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: White House President of the United States is a difficult 25 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: job to do, and usually the tenure is about eighteen months. 26 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: So when you were offered the job, did you say, 27 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: I know I'm only gonna be able to do this 28 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: for about eighteen months, or do you say I'm gonna 29 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: make it all four or eight years? Well, David, thanks, 30 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: thanks that very generous introduction. I appreciate it. Look, I 31 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: was honored and flattered humbled when President Biden. President Biden 32 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: asked me to come do this. Um, it is a 33 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: ruling job, There's no question about it. I think it's 34 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: easy to understand why the average tenure in the job 35 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: is seventeen eighteen months. Um, you know, I'm here every day, 36 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: working away. I'm honored to be part of this team 37 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: I have. I'm very lucky. I have probably the most 38 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: experienced a group of colleagues who have ever served as 39 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: a senior level in the White House. I have people 40 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: who carry a lot of the load every day. That 41 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: makes the job a lot easier than it would be. 42 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: We're facing a lot of hard challenges, no question about it. 43 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: Difficult situations on the international front, a lot of challenges 44 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: here at home. But I'm really lucky to be part 45 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: of an A plus team that's tackling these challenges every day. 46 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: So let's talk about the job of being chief of 47 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: staff and how the White House works. So the President 48 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:20,519 Speaker 1: does he get up early in the morning and call 49 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: you at home and say what's going on? Or or 50 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: do you you get in? What? What time does he 51 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: get in and what time you meet with the staff 52 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 1: people and what time you see him in the beginning 53 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: and the end of the day. How does that work? 54 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: So I'm usually in the White House every day by 55 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: UH and I talked to the President early in the 56 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: morning by phone from the residents. We have our morning 57 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: staff meetings before the President comes downstairs. We have a 58 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: number of different kinds of alignments of meetings depending on 59 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: the day of the week and whatnot, UM where we 60 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 1: kind of go over what's gonna happen that day, what's 61 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,360 Speaker 1: gonna what the key questions are that need to be 62 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: put to the president, What are the key things we 63 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 1: need to resolve that day? As a team? As I said, 64 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: this is UH to the White House many times before. UM, 65 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: but I think this is the most team oriented staff 66 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 1: I've seen. Uh. Usually the President comes downstairs around nine o'clock. 67 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: I'm his first meeting the day. Every day, I kind 68 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: of go through where things are and some key priorities, 69 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: get his reaction to the materials he's been reading overnight. 70 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: President takes with him upstairs every evening a thick binder 71 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: of materials to read, decision memos, UM and briefing memos. Those. 72 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: He usually comes in with questions. I try to come 73 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 1: in with answers UH, and we have a conversation. Then 74 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: he proceeds to a number of different staff meetings. I 75 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: see him a number of times during the day for 76 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: different kinds of meetings they're going on, whether their national 77 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: security meetings or domestic policy meetings. And then usually at 78 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: the end of the day I come in and kind 79 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: of wrap with him on you know, what are the 80 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: key outstanding things, what are the things he's going to 81 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: see in his book that night that he really needs 82 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: to focus on, Uh, what are the big decisions he's 83 00:03:58,240 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: gonna have to make? And some of the meetings is 84 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: going to have the next day and UH, today UM 85 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: does anybody have the right or the senior staff who 86 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: has walked in privileges? Are you the only one that 87 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: can walk into the Oval office without an announcement or 88 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: are there a couple of people that can do that? Now, 89 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: any of the president's senior advisor of senior policy advisors 90 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: can come in and see him. Obviously, you know it's 91 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:20,799 Speaker 1: he's got to not be in another meeting or whatever. 92 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: But but I I we run a White House here 93 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: where a lot of people have access to the President 94 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: and a lot of people are able to talk to 95 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: him straight and directly about what they think without having 96 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: to go through me. So Um, the president seems like 97 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: an even tempered person, but you know everybody gets upset 98 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 1: from time and time. Does he yell and scream or 99 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: he's not a yeller and scream, or how does he 100 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: show his displeasure at something you write a note to 101 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: him or or to you, or how does he show 102 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: say he's not happy? I think one of Joe Biden's 103 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: great strengths as president is that he hasn't who lived 104 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: a life filled with incredible triumphs and incredible tragedies. And um, 105 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: people know his by biography, they know his background, Uh. 106 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: They know the successes he's had, they know the grave 107 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: personal setbacks he suffered. And one thing that is true 108 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 1: is there's never a morning I go in there with 109 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: news that's as bad or worse than the news someone 110 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 1: else has had to deliver to him at other points 111 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: in time in his life. And I think that gives 112 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: him a very even keel. I think when things are 113 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: going well, he doesn't get too hyped up, and when 114 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: when we're having tougher days, he maintains that composure, that demeanor, 115 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: And I think that's one of the hallmarks of his temperament. 116 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 1: One of the things he brings to the office, that 117 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: that steadiness, that experience uh and uh in a life 118 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: that has been, as I say, filled with triumph and tragedy, 119 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: and that's seasoned him and prepared him for this moment. 120 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: Some people say, he's you know, it's seventy nine years old. 121 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:51,679 Speaker 1: That's old to be president United States. Do you see 122 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: signs of his age? Is he uh in better shape 123 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: than you are? And in terms of exercising or how 124 00:05:58,120 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: do you deal with the fact that he's, you know, 125 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: older than anybody's ever been to be president Nited States? Well, 126 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: he's he He's definitely better shape than I am. That's 127 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 1: for sure. He's very fat. He works out almost every 128 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 1: day in the morning before he comes down to the 129 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: Oval office. Uh. And I think the American people saw 130 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: for themselves last night the president's stand to give an 131 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 1: hour long address that was filled with passion and power 132 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:23,919 Speaker 1: and wisdom and energy. They saw him hold the longest 133 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: press conference in the history of presidents a couple weeks 134 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: ago at the start of the year. To our press conference, 135 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: we took questions from all kinds of reporters. So I 136 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: think his fitness, his vigor is beyond question. Uh. People 137 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: see him on the job every day. Uh. And then 138 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,159 Speaker 1: what they see as a person who's fully capable of 139 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:47,159 Speaker 1: doing the job, fully vigorous and great mental and physical health, uh, 140 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: and taking on the burdens of the office and executing 141 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: them well. So today you would say the President enjoying 142 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: the job or does he say, geez, I wish I 143 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: hadn't really done this. Well, I don't know that enjoying 144 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: is the way you describe tackling the responsibilities of being 145 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: the president United States, And particularly now where I think 146 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 1: he has emerged as the leader of the free world, 147 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: is the person who's leading this coalitions confronting Vladimir Putin. 148 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: But I think he's very glad he ran for president. 149 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: I think he is um, you have been well prepared 150 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: for the challenges he's tackling. I think, more importantly, I 151 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: hear from people all around the country, Democrats and Republicans, 152 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: that they're very glad he's the person in the Oval 153 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: office right now, that he's the person with the background, experience, 154 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: the judgment to tackle these hard problems. And uh so, 155 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of confidence in him as 156 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: the person who should be where he is. About intelligence 157 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: for a moment um, Usually, uh the intelligence that comes 158 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:50,120 Speaker 1: into the c I A UH is not declassified and 159 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: given to reporters in a public way. Clearly, in this process, somebody, 160 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: I assume the President United States, thought it was a 161 00:07:56,720 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: good idea to declassify the satellite photos and to declassify 162 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: the information we have about what Putin was sinking or saying. 163 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: So was that a difficult decision to come to And 164 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: do you think it worked or didn't work? Yet? David, 165 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: I think it was the right decision given the kind 166 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: of environment we were facing. We knew that President Putin 167 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: had a reputation for disinformation. We've certainly seen that all 168 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: around the world, and we knew that his most likely 169 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: approach here would be to create some kind of disinformation campaign, 170 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: a false flag attack, potentially a false provocation out and 171 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: outlies to justify his invasion of Ukraine. As it became 172 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: clear and clear to us that that was what he 173 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: had planned, we thought it was more and more important 174 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: to strip him of that advantage by making clear what 175 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: we knew his plans were and making it clear to 176 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: the world what we thought would happen. And I think 177 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: that decision by the President Biden, in conjunction with our 178 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 1: NATO allies or other allies that are part of the coalition, 179 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: is shared decision to proceed this way has been one 180 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: of the reasons why there has been such a unified 181 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: and uniform ruled reaction to what President Putin has done. 182 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,319 Speaker 1: There's no ambiguity about who is the aggressor here. There's 183 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: no belief in any of the false stories about what 184 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 1: quote unquote provoked this invasion. I think that transparency that 185 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:24,839 Speaker 1: uh sophisticated use of intelligence and a modern information warfare 186 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: context has served the allies very very well. I also 187 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: think it's stripped President Putin of any element of surprise 188 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: in the attack and helped the Ukrainians be ready for 189 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: what what has hit them. So how do you respond 190 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 1: to the critics that you have? And you have some 191 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 1: critics sometimes, I'm sure you know who say you should 192 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: have sent armaments to the Ukrainians before the invasion, so 193 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 1: they were better armed than they are now that we're 194 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: now sending them after the invasion, and and that you 195 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: should have imposed the sanctions before the invasion occurred. What 196 00:09:58,040 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: do you respond? How do you respond to those kind 197 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: of criticisms versa all, we did send armaments to the 198 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: Ukrainians before the invasion. We sent more arms, more military 199 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: assistance to Ukraine in the past twelve months than any 200 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 1: year uh since. So we did send a variety of 201 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: kinds of military assistance to the Ukrainians. That assistance continues 202 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: to be to come into the country, but we did 203 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: send plenty before this happened. In terms of the sanctions, 204 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: we thought that the best way to make sure we'd 205 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: have the most unified and powerful set of sanctions was 206 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: to make it clear that those sanctions would take effect 207 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: when and if President Putin invaded. The results that we've seen. 208 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: Illustrate that, David, You've seen There's never been a effort 209 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 1: to impose sanctions this stringent on a country as large 210 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: and as complex and as interconnected to the world economy 211 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: as Russia. It's really a kind of astonishing effort that 212 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: you're seeing under way here. And the impact of those 213 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 1: sanctions has been devastating. They're devastating because there's such a 214 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:09,679 Speaker 1: powerful group of countries unified in their application. And I 215 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: think doing it the way we did is what's made 216 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: all that possible. When you impose sanctions, Let's suppose the 217 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: offending party, Let's say Russia says, Okay, we made a mistake, 218 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:22,200 Speaker 1: We're sorry, we're pulling back. Did the sanctions go away 219 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: or are their penalties that are subsequent to the withdrawal? 220 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: Other words, are there ongoing penalties or they're in effect 221 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: reparations for having done these bad things? Or the sanction 222 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: just go away? Or is that not decided yet? Hasn't 223 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 1: been deciding? What would happen if the Russians withdrew again? 224 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: That be part of whatever kind of diplomacy would unlind 225 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 1: the crisis in Ukraine. Sadly, Uh, this is a this 226 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: as you say, is a hypothetical question. We see no signs, unfortunately, 227 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: that the Russians have any intention of withdrawing right now, 228 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: and indeed, their military operations in Ukraine continue to escalate. 229 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: They continue to um, you know, attack more civilians, more 230 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: civilian sights. The fighting continues to get more and more 231 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:10,319 Speaker 1: fear So, we offered President Putting a number of diplomatic 232 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: off ramps in the run up to this invasion. We 233 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: offered him a number of different arrangements, never different possible 234 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: ways in which he could meet with members of the 235 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,960 Speaker 1: coalition and the Ukrainians, a number of different kinds of 236 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: structures to do that. At every juncture, President Putin rejected 237 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: the path of diplomacy, continued on the path of invasion. 238 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: And that's what we're seeing unfold right now. Let's talk 239 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,960 Speaker 1: about build back better. UM. I wondered who came up 240 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: with that tongue twister? Um, it's hard to say that quickly. Um. 241 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: Was that something that you came up with or who 242 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: came up with that? I don't know who came up 243 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 1: it certainly was the principal slogan for the president's campaign. 244 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 1: Uh in uh was the slogan for most of his 245 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 1: policies was the umbrella under which most of the policies 246 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 1: that he ran on build Back Better. Uh, it's actually 247 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: gained some traction on the world. A number of European 248 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:05,840 Speaker 1: countries have now adopted Build Back Better initiatives. So I 249 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: think it's a slogan that's resonated with people. Uh. It 250 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 1: is a bit of a tongue twister, but I think 251 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: it does have some residents, and it comes from the campaign. 252 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: So is the Build Back Better bill that passed the 253 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: House likely to ever see the light of day in 254 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: the Senate? Are you now committed to breaking it up 255 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,720 Speaker 1: and passing individual pieces of it? Well, I think what 256 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 1: we're gonna try to do is get as many of 257 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 1: the President's initiatives enacted as possible in the best way possible. 258 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,440 Speaker 1: The Senate has the option to do reconciliation as a 259 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 1: procedural device that takes only fifty votes to pass a 260 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:45,280 Speaker 1: bill that has tax changes and other kinds of economic 261 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,599 Speaker 1: changes in it. Uh, And that would probably be the 262 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: vehicle we'd use to move some legislation like this through 263 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: the Senate. We're obviously in conversations with a number of 264 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: senators about what elements have the most support. What elements 265 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: are the most effective to get pass to the Senate. 266 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: You're the president. Talk about a number those last night, David. 267 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,559 Speaker 1: I think people are very concerned about inflation and very 268 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 1: concerned about what inflation means to everyday families, and that 269 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: means they pay too much for things, and so key 270 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: parts of the Build Back Better Plan address that directly. 271 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: Bring down the cost of childcare, bring down the cost 272 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: of prescription drugs, bring down the cost of elder care, 273 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: bring down the cost of healthcare. So we're looking for 274 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: and most importantly in some ways are equally important, I 275 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: should say, bring down the cost of energy by moving 276 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: us to more of a clean energy economy. So, uh, 277 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: you look at those proposals. There are proposals that meet 278 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 1: the moment of higher costs, and we're going to continue 279 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:45,240 Speaker 1: to work with the Senate to find a formula that 280 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 1: moves that agenda forward. So, Ron, you have been criticized 281 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 1: by some for saying that you are so powerful that 282 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 1: you really are effectively running the whole government. How do 283 00:14:57,560 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: you respond to that. You're like that, you're the Prime Minister. 284 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: It's ridiculous. I'm a staff person. I've been a staff 285 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: person my whole life. I've never run for anything. I've 286 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: never been elected to anything. I've been proud to work 287 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: for some distinguished public servants, Uh, President Biden being one 288 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: of them at several points in time of my career, 289 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: President Obama, of course, President Clinton. Uh. That's that's who 290 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: I am. And at the White House, not only am 291 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: a staff person, I'm a staff person who works with 292 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: a number of other enormously talented staff people. So this 293 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: is a real team effort here, team on the policy side, 294 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: team on the strategy side. My job is just to 295 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: help coordinate those people get that advice to the president. Uh. 296 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: So that's how I see my role. How do you 297 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: respond to the other criticism of some people have had, 298 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: not necessarily of you, but of the president that he 299 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 1: governed as he campaign as a moderate, but he's governing 300 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: more to the left than people expect it. And what 301 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: is your response to that criticism that some have made. Yeah, look, 302 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: I think that that criticism wipes out the history of 303 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 1: and paign. Uh. There's nothing that the President sent to 304 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 1: Capitol Hill that he did not put before the voters 305 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: in the campaign. Our economic agenda is the economic agenda 306 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 1: he ran on an eighty one million Americans voted for 307 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: when they elected him. In fact, if anything, we've trimmed 308 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: that agenda back. The Build Back Better plan that we 309 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 1: sent to Capitol Hill was significantly smaller than even the 310 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: one we campaigned on. Uh, the infrastructure bill is something 311 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: he campaigned on, the voting rights bill something he campaigned on, 312 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: and the COVID relief package that we started the administration 313 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 1: with again as something he endorsed in the campaign. So 314 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: he was very straightforward voters about what he would do 315 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: if he were president, and that's what he's done. And look, 316 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: the proposals we put forward are substantial y because the 317 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,720 Speaker 1: problems we inherited were substantial. It's not any vision, and 318 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 1: not any grandiose vision. We inherited an economy that was 319 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: dead in the water, fifty thousand jobs a month, just 320 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: fifty a months the three months before we got here, 321 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 1: virtually debt economy. The government hadn't even bought enough vaccinations 322 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:05,120 Speaker 1: to give one vaccine to every American, let alone too 323 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: vaccines to ever American, let alone booster shots. We had 324 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:12,119 Speaker 1: no system to really massively distribute and administer those vaccines. 325 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: We face a climate crisis. We face all kinds of 326 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 1: other challenges now, obviously this challenge over in Europe. So 327 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 1: we've put together proposals to meet the moment, not out 328 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: of some effort to kind of do something bigger than 329 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: we should, but because we inherited very big problems. Uh. 330 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: And and you've seen a lot of progress. We obviously 331 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: then went and created more jobs in one year than 332 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: any administration in history, for any administration, says nineteen thirty nine, 333 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:41,440 Speaker 1: according to New York Times fact check, So any administration 334 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: since nineteen thirty nine, we uh see the fastest second 335 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 1: time of growth in forty years. Was the first time 336 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: in twenty years. Our economy grew faster in the year 337 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: than China's economy. So we put in place the kind 338 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: of recovery measures that were needed. We've vaccinated over two 339 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 1: u fully vaccinated over two twenty million Americans. Uh. You 340 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:01,640 Speaker 1: know that these are big tasks we took on this year, 341 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:03,919 Speaker 1: and I'm proud of what we've done to achieve them. 342 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,399 Speaker 1: So usually in the after the first year of an administration, 343 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: you see some turnover and a cabinet or something. But 344 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:13,640 Speaker 1: you haven't had any turnover, and I haven't had any 345 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: scandals either, So, how come you haven't any scandals and 346 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:20,440 Speaker 1: how come you haven't any turnover? Well, uh, I think 347 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:22,119 Speaker 1: the president of a very good job of picking a 348 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,760 Speaker 1: cabinet and picking senior officials, and I think the lack 349 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: of scandals reflects that. Uh. I think the lack of 350 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,879 Speaker 1: turnover reflects the fact that these are men and women 351 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,200 Speaker 1: who are very eager to serve, who doing a great job, 352 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: who are making a difference. It's the most diverse cabinet history. 353 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: It's the first time in history the cabinet has been 354 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 1: evenly divided between men and women, the first time in 355 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 1: history that a majority of the cabinet isn't white. And 356 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: it's a diverse cabinet. It's an incredibly talented cabinet, and 357 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 1: we're very lucky to have their service. The President's favorability 358 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:54,959 Speaker 1: ratings are not as high as I assume you would like, 359 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,480 Speaker 1: and uh, I wondered, how do you win the White 360 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,400 Speaker 1: House deal with that? Well, I think the most important 361 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: thing is the president to do the right thing. And 362 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,960 Speaker 1: I think that what you're seeing right now is um 363 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 1: a mood in the country that's impacted by the fact 364 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:12,160 Speaker 1: that this pandemic has lasted longer than anyone thought it would. 365 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: Uh that while we've had tremendous growth on the economy 366 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 1: and jobs, we're having a problem with inflation, and I 367 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 1: think those things contribute to um generally um uh mood 368 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: in the country that's not as upbeat or confidence we 369 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,439 Speaker 1: would like. What I think in the case of President 370 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:32,679 Speaker 1: Biden is we made a lot of hard decisions in 371 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:35,920 Speaker 1: to put in place a new economic strategy that you 372 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: heard the President talk about last night in the State 373 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: of the Union, a new COVID strategy that we're again 374 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: updating again today with new steps on COVID UH, and 375 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: those hard decisions I think are starting to show results. 376 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:51,640 Speaker 1: I fully accept the fact that the American people are 377 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 1: more show me, not tell me. And what they want 378 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:55,639 Speaker 1: to see is they want to see that we really 379 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:58,239 Speaker 1: have reached a new way of managing COVID. They want 380 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: to see we really have not just created jobs, but 381 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 1: the jobs are going to stay, the wages are going 382 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 1: to go up. They want to see that these the 383 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 1: economic recovery is real and sustained. I think the political 384 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,160 Speaker 1: credit will follow from that. When I was here both 385 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,560 Speaker 1: with President Clinton and President Obama, we saw the recovery 386 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 1: ahead of the politics, and I think you're seeing that 387 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 1: now too, and so I do think our approval reading 388 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: will go up in the months ahead as the economic recovery, 389 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: the progress on covid UH become more permanent, more lasting, 390 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 1: and internalized more by the voters. Now. One of my 391 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:36,159 Speaker 1: former partners at at Carlisle was Jim Baker, and he 392 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: was considered maybe up until you the gold standard of 393 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 1: how to be chief of staff. But he didn't actually 394 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: like the job that much, and he wound up as 395 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 1: Secretary of Treasury eventually and as Secretary of State. So 396 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: do you have any aspirations to any of those jobs 397 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: or something like that? I don't think so. I think 398 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 1: when I finished my tenure here, I'll go back. Uh. 399 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: When I finished my tenure here, I'm gonna like take 400 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: a month in sleep, and then I'll figure out what 401 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,639 Speaker 1: I'll do next. Uh. You know, Secretary Bayer, I have 402 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: to know him a little bit during the Florida recount 403 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: when we are on opposite sides of that. He has 404 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,880 Speaker 1: been unbelievably gracious. He sent me the the kindest note 405 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: when I got this job. Um, he's sent me a 406 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: couple of the notes since then. He's just such a 407 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: uh you know, he's just been He's just such a 408 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 1: wonderful person. Um and um uh and I he is 409 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 1: the gold standard of doing this job. I couldn't even 410 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 1: aspire to that. Just try to do the best I 411 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: can every day. So whenever you do finish this position 412 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 1: as chief of staff and a friend calls you subsequently 413 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: and says, I've been offered the job of chief of 414 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: staff to the President nited states, would you tell him 415 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 1: to take or her to take that job or not. 416 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:39,840 Speaker 1: I would definitely tell anyone to take this job. It 417 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,199 Speaker 1: is a hard job, but it's a unique opportunity to 418 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: work with, first of all, an incredible president and vice 419 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 1: president of course at a time it's very important to 420 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 1: our country, and to work with an amazingly talented group 421 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:53,639 Speaker 1: of people here in the White House throughout the agency's 422 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 1: They just blow me away every day and I learned 423 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 1: something new every day. It's been the culminating experience in 424 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: my career. Uh and um i um. I just couldn't 425 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: be more grateful for the experience. And whoever replaces me 426 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:09,919 Speaker 1: in this job whenever my typing the job ends, I 427 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: hope has the same kind of experience. Thanks for listening 428 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 1: to hear more of my interviews. You can subscribe and 429 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:21,919 Speaker 1: download my podcast on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen