WEBVTT - Katie Couric One-On-One With Vice President Kamala Harris 0:00:04.800 --> 0:00:08.000 Hi everyone, I'm Kitty Kuric, and this is next question. 0:00:12.440 --> 0:00:15.200 It's hard to believe, but the twenty twenty four election 0:00:15.560 --> 0:00:19.160 is less than a year away. What's even harder to believe, 0:00:19.640 --> 0:00:24.560 As Yogi Bear would say, it's deja vu all over again. Yep, 0:00:25.000 --> 0:00:29.560 that's right, Biden versus Trump. We've been hearing a lot 0:00:29.600 --> 0:00:32.640 about the Republican side of the campaign with the Iowa 0:00:32.720 --> 0:00:36.440 caucuses and the New Hampshire primary and now Super Tuesday 0:00:36.479 --> 0:00:39.559 is just over a month away, but we haven't been 0:00:39.600 --> 0:00:45.400 hearing as much from the current administration. That's why I 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:48.880 was thrilled to jump on a train, brave the elements, 0:00:49.240 --> 0:00:52.840 and head to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to sit 0:00:52.880 --> 0:00:58.000 down with Vice President Kamala Harris. By the way, these 0:00:58.120 --> 0:01:02.840 interviews can be very strong. She's an incredibly busy person, 0:01:03.040 --> 0:01:06.080 so they only gave me thirty minutes, and I had 0:01:06.120 --> 0:01:12.479 a lot to cover, abortion, immigration, Israel, Gaza, the administration's 0:01:12.720 --> 0:01:18.080 historically low approval ratings despite their many accomplishments, Trump voters 0:01:18.360 --> 0:01:22.240 and some crucial voting blocks that don't necessarily think the 0:01:22.360 --> 0:01:25.680 second time's a charm. First of all, thank you so 0:01:25.760 --> 0:01:30.400 much for being here for agreeing to have this conversation. 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:34.360 I'm very excited to talk to you about everything you're doing. 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:38.000 Before we sat down, we both had a little something 0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:40.920 we needed to clear up. Why did I think you 0:01:40.920 --> 0:01:43.920 were much taller? I recently learned you're only five too. 0:01:44.040 --> 0:01:47.920 Is that absolutely incorrect? Okay? I am five four and 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:51.120 a quarter. Okay, four and a half and with heels, 0:01:51.120 --> 0:01:53.120 which I always around five seven and a half. Thank 0:01:53.160 --> 0:01:53.600 you very much. 0:01:53.640 --> 0:01:56.480 Okay, Wikipedia, you're wrong, and we need to go on. 0:01:56.680 --> 0:01:58.800 I've said this to my team, like what, I don't 0:01:58.800 --> 0:02:00.360 know where it came from. 0:02:00.160 --> 0:02:03.600 I was five to when I was twelve, they say 0:02:03.600 --> 0:02:06.760 I'm five to one on my Wikipedia page by three 0:02:06.840 --> 0:02:09.480 and three quarters right and shrinking. 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:12.400 It's like, literally they just want to just make us 0:02:12.440 --> 0:02:13.800 smaller in every way. 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:16.360 I know, but I but I was excited because I'm short, 0:02:16.400 --> 0:02:17.960 and I was like, oh, kamalo. 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:21.320 No, I am not. I am not just trying to 0:02:21.360 --> 0:02:24.400 take two and a half inches off my you know. Correct. 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:30.000 Yes, we started with a topic that's proving to be 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:34.960 a powerful driver for democrats. I know that Vice President 0:02:35.000 --> 0:02:40.080 harrisher embarking on a Reproductive Freedom's tour to highlight the 0:02:40.160 --> 0:02:45.240 harm caused by abortion bands and restrictive laws following the 0:02:45.280 --> 0:02:46.239 overturning of Roe v. 0:02:46.360 --> 0:02:46.680 Wade. 0:02:47.280 --> 0:02:50.720 This is an issue that has resonated so much with 0:02:50.800 --> 0:02:55.360 Democratic voters and I'm curious, what is your goal as 0:02:55.400 --> 0:02:56.840 you travel around the country. 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:01.799 Well, my my goal, my ultimate goal is that we 0:03:01.880 --> 0:03:07.760 will build up the support to build and get a 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:12.080 Congress that will pass a bill to restore the protections 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:15.960 of Roe into law, and President Joe Biden will sign it. 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:20.000 But then let's take a step back. So I'm starting 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:23.160 the We're naming the Fight for Our Reproductive Freedom's Tour, 0:03:23.280 --> 0:03:26.000 and it'll begin on January twenty second, which is the 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:31.640 fifty first anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. And Katie, 0:03:32.040 --> 0:03:34.120 you know I mean you, and I'm going to speak 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:37.880 for you. I think I could immaccurate most of our 0:03:37.960 --> 0:03:41.320 adult or our conscious lives right when we were able 0:03:41.360 --> 0:03:44.120 to be aware of what is happening in the world. 0:03:44.720 --> 0:03:46.560 Roe v. Wade was the law of the land. 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:49.880 Row pass when I was in tenth grade. 0:03:49.600 --> 0:03:52.880 So it was the law of the land for almost 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:56.400 the entirety of our adult lives. And you know, I'll 0:03:56.400 --> 0:03:59.480 speak for myself now. You know I always pro choice 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:02.400 pro CHOI whenever there was a moment where we had 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:05.760 to speak about the protecting role, would let us protect Row. 0:04:06.440 --> 0:04:09.080 But honestly, I pretty much, I think most of us 0:04:09.120 --> 0:04:11.880 pretty much, we were pretty certain it would always be here. 0:04:12.960 --> 0:04:16.640 And look what happened. The highest court in our land 0:04:17.440 --> 0:04:22.359 took a constitutional right that had been recognized from the 0:04:22.400 --> 0:04:26.760 people of America, from the women of America. And the 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:33.120 day that that decision came down, the world in so 0:04:33.279 --> 0:04:35.599 many ways in terms of a lived experience for the 0:04:35.600 --> 0:04:40.680 women of America changed in a drastic way. After the 0:04:40.760 --> 0:04:46.480 Dobs decision, which undid Row, came down, states around our 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:51.880 country proposed and passed laws that would punish women, criminalize 0:04:51.920 --> 0:04:57.359 health care providers, ban abortion in some cases, even in 0:04:57.440 --> 0:05:02.400 the situation of rape or incess. As you know, I 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:04.800 spent a lot of my career as a prosecutor, and 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:07.920 one of the reasons I became a prosecutor of started 0:05:07.960 --> 0:05:12.040 to share the story more. My best friend in high school, 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:13.800 when we were in high school, I learned was being 0:05:13.800 --> 0:05:18.160 molested by her stepfather. And when I learned that, I said, well, 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:19.760 you have to come and stay with us. I called 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:21.919 my mother. My mother said, of course, she has to 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:24.880 come stay with us, and she did, and so I 0:05:24.960 --> 0:05:28.120 decided I wanted to do the work that was about 0:05:28.360 --> 0:05:33.000 protecting women and children from violence. And the majority of 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:35.680 my career as a prosecutor was focused on crimes against 0:05:35.680 --> 0:05:39.279 women and children. So bringing that back to the point 0:05:39.320 --> 0:05:43.000 of no exception even for rape or ancest So these 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:47.599 extremist so called leaders are basically saying to a survivor 0:05:48.880 --> 0:05:52.000 of a crime of violence to their body, a violation 0:05:52.520 --> 0:05:56.599 of their body, saying to these survivors, and you don't 0:05:56.640 --> 0:05:59.880 have the authority or right to make a decision about 0:05:59.880 --> 0:06:04.600 what happens to your body next. That's immoral. That's immoral. 0:06:05.600 --> 0:06:10.400 And what I have seen traveling our country listening to 0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:14.040 women who have been directly affected because of these laws 0:06:14.720 --> 0:06:20.320 is the stories of women having miscarriages in toilets. Katie, 0:06:20.600 --> 0:06:23.719 There's a woman in Texas who I've spent some time with. 0:06:24.320 --> 0:06:28.960 She and he her husband. She wanted to become pregnant, 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:33.760 she wanted to have children, but her pregnancy then she 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:36.320 was having a miscarriage. She went to the emergency room, 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:42.440 she was denied care because the hospital workers were so 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:47.679 afraid that they might get sued or be committing something 0:06:47.920 --> 0:06:50.760 against the law that they would not give her care. 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:53.480 It was only when she went back because she had 0:06:53.520 --> 0:06:59.440 developed sepsis that they gave her care. Women around our 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:07.800 country are experiencing a profound harm because of these laws 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:11.040 as a result of that Supreme Court decision, and many 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:15.160 of the stories are untold. Many of these cases are 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:17.880 women who are silently suffering. And the other layer of 0:07:17.920 --> 0:07:24.440 this Katie that really should be addressed and understood is 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:30.040 how these extremists are framing the discussion in a way 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:34.280 that really is about judging women as though they've done 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:40.640 something wrong, something they should be embarrassed about. And as 0:07:40.680 --> 0:07:45.960 we know, when people are already going through a moment 0:07:46.000 --> 0:07:51.320 in their life where they need support, not judgment, and 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:56.680 where they then feel because of this environment that they've 0:07:56.680 --> 0:08:01.520 done something wrong, they're going to silence, they suffer, and 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:05.480 they're going to fill alone, which is very disempowering. And 0:08:05.920 --> 0:08:10.720 so when I travel our country listening to these stories, 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:13.880 hearing these women and thinking about this issue and how 0:08:13.920 --> 0:08:16.120 it is taking place in terms of the effect in 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:23.840 real time, I feel compelled to travel as I've been, 0:08:25.240 --> 0:08:28.680 to organize folks and talk with folks about why we 0:08:28.840 --> 0:08:33.760 all should stand for these basic freedoms, the right of 0:08:33.800 --> 0:08:36.280 an individual to make decisions about their own body. 0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:42.760 Pragmatically speaking Man and Vice President. The composition of the 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:47.439 Supreme Court is unlikely to change anytime soon, it seems. 0:08:48.360 --> 0:08:53.080 So what can you realistically do? You were talking about 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:57.720 electing people to Congress and passing a law of federal 0:08:57.800 --> 0:09:03.040 law protecting a woman's right to choose in the interim, 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:07.640 are there any other things that can be done to 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:11.280 prevent these women from suffering the way they have been, 0:09:11.440 --> 0:09:17.920 and particularly in very restrictive states like Texas, Idaho, and Tennessee. 0:09:18.160 --> 0:09:21.800 Well, I'll start with what our administration is working on, 0:09:22.200 --> 0:09:27.640 which includes fighting for an informing states about the responsibility 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:33.520 to administer emergency care, the duty to administer emergency care, 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:36.679 and so that is part of what we are doing. 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:39.240 There is a law that the acronym is m Tala, 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:43.040 but it basically says people cannot be denied emergency care. 0:09:43.840 --> 0:09:46.880 There is the work that we are doing to protect 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:52.120 access to contraception, which is a real issue here. There's 0:09:52.200 --> 0:09:56.000 work I've been doing, for example, to convene university presidents 0:09:56.600 --> 0:10:00.400 who of course have as the vast major already of 0:10:00.440 --> 0:10:02.520 their student population. People who are in the height of 0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:06.400 their reprotective years, to ensure that they are doing what 0:10:06.440 --> 0:10:10.440 they can to protect medical records, to protect privacy, to 0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:17.280 make allowances if, for example, a student has an unwanted 0:10:17.320 --> 0:10:21.080 pregnancy and can't receive medical care in their state needs 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:23.960 to leave, which means miss time from class, to make 0:10:24.000 --> 0:10:27.160 sure that that student is not punished because they had 0:10:27.200 --> 0:10:29.480 to leave the state even though they would have preferred 0:10:29.480 --> 0:10:31.760 to stay where they were. So this is some of 0:10:31.800 --> 0:10:36.000 the work. The other work is around just talking with 0:10:36.640 --> 0:10:42.559 people about the realities of it all, for example, pointing 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:45.719 out that I think we all agree that one does 0:10:45.720 --> 0:10:50.080 not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:54.360 to agree that the government should not be telling her 0:10:54.400 --> 0:10:57.120 what to do with her body. If she chooses, she 0:10:57.240 --> 0:11:00.680 will consult with her priests or rabbi, her past or 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:03.439 you mom, but it should not be the government telling 0:11:03.440 --> 0:11:05.920 her what to do. So there are many layers to 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:08.760 the work that I think needs to be done, including 0:11:09.120 --> 0:11:13.319 reminding the individuals who are going through this right now, 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:15.840 the women who are going through it right now, that 0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:18.679 they're not alone, and that we hear them and we 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:23.040 see them, we do not judge them. And we want 0:11:23.200 --> 0:11:25.720 them to have the support that they so rightly need. 0:11:26.080 --> 0:11:29.000 I also think there's a lot of disinformation about late 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:34.520 term abortions, absolutely, and I think a lot of misconceptions 0:11:34.559 --> 0:11:40.080 about that as well, that women are having abortions, you know, 0:11:41.000 --> 0:11:45.400 before their baby, you know, right before the baby is born, 0:11:45.800 --> 0:11:51.480 and these horror stories about that. How can you educate 0:11:51.559 --> 0:11:56.640 the public that even rowe had restrictions on the third trimester. 0:11:57.280 --> 0:12:03.200 Well not only that, but let's just remember that before 0:12:03.280 --> 0:12:05.920 the Dodds decision, this was not an issue that was 0:12:05.960 --> 0:12:11.240 being debated about whether women were doing these things that 0:12:11.320 --> 0:12:13.240 people are now describing as. 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:15.240 Possible or partial birth abords. 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:20.240 And I just think that it is meant to distract 0:12:20.280 --> 0:12:23.720 from the realities which is this and it's really basic 0:12:23.760 --> 0:12:28.959 and fundamental. On one level, this is about taking freedoms away, 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:32.600 the freedom to make decision about your own body. This 0:12:32.679 --> 0:12:38.199 is a question also of trust. I trust women. President 0:12:38.280 --> 0:12:42.400 Joe Biden trusts women to be able to know what 0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:47.679 is in their own best interest and then make good decisions. 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:50.680 And by the way, and women trust us to know 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:55.440 we're going to protect and fight for their freedoms. But fundamentally, 0:12:56.000 --> 0:12:58.920 that is the issue and I think there are many 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:02.840 people who want to distract from that fundamental foundational issue, 0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:06.640 and I take it to a foundational issue in terms 0:13:06.679 --> 0:13:10.040 of this is one of the main principles upon which 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:12.160 our country was founded. 0:13:12.520 --> 0:13:16.200 Do you think that this will motivate voters in November, 0:13:16.240 --> 0:13:20.960 because I know it's shown that primarily referendum are REFERENDU 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:26.319 that's a plural of referendum, right is what are what 0:13:26.440 --> 0:13:31.680 motivate people to go and vote? And so how can 0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:35.960 you I mean, I'm assuming that you're trying to encourage 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:39.600 people who feel strongly about this issue to go to 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:41.640 the polls come November. 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:47.480 Because they can make a difference. Literally, this issue will 0:13:48.120 --> 0:13:51.800 be ultimately determined about whether women have this freedom or 0:13:51.800 --> 0:13:57.079 not because of elections, because of what will result from elections, 0:13:57.120 --> 0:14:01.560 which is elected leaders passing a lot to reinstate the 0:14:01.600 --> 0:14:05.280 protections of freedom at the state level. Well, but ultimately 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:07.320 it's going to take the federal level because what we 0:14:07.360 --> 0:14:10.679 see is state by state, you see different laws that 0:14:10.720 --> 0:14:14.280 have been unleashed after the Dobbs decision. So we want 0:14:14.320 --> 0:14:17.440 to go back to the law of the land being 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:23.640 a row. And I think that elections matter, Katie on 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:26.600 this issue in particular elections, they. 0:14:26.440 --> 0:14:35.920 Matter after the break Immigration the second most important topic 0:14:36.080 --> 0:14:43.080 for voters after the economy. If you want to get 0:14:43.120 --> 0:14:45.800 smarter every morning with a breakdown of the news and 0:14:46.000 --> 0:14:49.880 fascinating takes on health and wellness and pop culture, sign 0:14:50.000 --> 0:14:52.640 up for our daily newsletter, Wake Upcall by going to 0:14:52.720 --> 0:15:06.000 Katiecuric dot com. I want to talk to you a 0:15:06.080 --> 0:15:10.520 little bit about immigration because I think just about everyone 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:15.040 and you have said as well, agrees that the immigration 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:20.160 system is broken and we need comprehensive immigration reform. Early on, 0:15:20.240 --> 0:15:23.880 I know you were tasked with understanding the root causes 0:15:23.920 --> 0:15:26.480 of the immigration crisis, but you are not in charge 0:15:26.480 --> 0:15:28.880 of the border, which I think is important to point out. 0:15:29.440 --> 0:15:34.480 Having said that, fourteen House Democrats joined Republicans in denouncing 0:15:34.520 --> 0:15:39.640 the Biden administrations so called open border policies, calling it 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:44.080 quote a national security and public safety crisis. And as 0:15:44.120 --> 0:15:46.400 you know, I'm sure you've talked to them. So many 0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:50.560 big city mayor's Democrats are saying this is an untenable 0:15:50.640 --> 0:15:54.880 situation in cities across the country. Sixty eight percent of 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:59.320 Americans disapprove the way the Biden administration has handled the border. 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:03.240 So how do you address that have you done enough? 0:16:04.880 --> 0:16:09.560 There's no question our immigration system is broken and it 0:16:09.600 --> 0:16:14.560 needs to be fixed, and as with any problem, then 0:16:15.240 --> 0:16:21.520 leaders will participate, true leaders in the solution. So I'm 0:16:21.560 --> 0:16:24.720 going to take you back to about three years ago, 0:16:25.280 --> 0:16:28.200 and it was I think the day after our inauguration 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:31.520 when we came in, Joe Biden as president, me as 0:16:31.600 --> 0:16:36.560 Vice president. The first bill that we offered was a 0:16:36.560 --> 0:16:39.720 bill to fix the immigration system. 0:16:39.760 --> 0:16:42.320 And that's when you controlled both houses. 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:45.720 And Congress did not take it up. And I will 0:16:45.760 --> 0:16:48.880 tell you that this is, first of all, not a 0:16:48.920 --> 0:16:54.760 new issue, but sadly it has become so deeply partisan 0:16:55.960 --> 0:16:59.280 and the subject of then political gamesmanship, when in fact 0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:01.840 the solution are at hand, and we offered a solution 0:17:02.640 --> 0:17:06.760 early on and invited bipartisan work. Let's work on it 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:11.159 to fix this. And in fact, we have right now 0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:15.920 a proposal for fourteen billion dollars so that we can 0:17:15.960 --> 0:17:21.040 put more resources to address this very situation. And we 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:26.320 hope and and are really trying to compel in particularly 0:17:26.359 --> 0:17:30.200 some of the Republicans in Congress to participate in the solution. 0:17:30.720 --> 0:17:33.840 But sadly, you know, we want to fix it, they 0:17:33.880 --> 0:17:36.800 want to run on it. They want a political issue 0:17:36.840 --> 0:17:38.800 to run on in November. 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:40.960 Well it's working, honestly, Well. 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:43.840 I don't I think that. Listen again, I start, I 0:17:43.920 --> 0:17:46.960 go back to where I started. The situation is such 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:50.040 that the system has broken and it needs to be fixed, 0:17:50.040 --> 0:17:53.240 and we have offered a solution, and real leaders ought 0:17:53.320 --> 0:17:56.480 to lead on this, meaning not play politics with it, 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:58.080 but work with us. 0:17:58.359 --> 0:18:01.680 I think Senates the problem. Republicans I know are trying to. 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:03.520 Do that right. The challenge is going to be on 0:18:03.560 --> 0:18:05.160 the House side. 0:18:04.720 --> 0:18:09.720 Exactly, and they have linked legislation fixing the immigration crisis 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:14.440 to military aid to Ukraine and Israel, and military aid 0:18:14.520 --> 0:18:18.399 those two allies desperately need. Is this immigration bill as 0:18:18.520 --> 0:18:24.000 it currently stands, something that you all can support in 0:18:24.119 --> 0:18:26.080 order to release that aid money. 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:29.240 So it's a work in progress. So by the time 0:18:29.359 --> 0:18:31.760 your listeners listen to this conversation, I don't know what 0:18:32.440 --> 0:18:34.280 situation or status it will be in. But let me 0:18:34.280 --> 0:18:38.360 just say this. We ought to be able to do 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:42.560 everything we are the United States, and that means fixed 0:18:42.760 --> 0:18:45.399 problems such as what we need to do to address 0:18:45.440 --> 0:18:49.200 the immigration system, and we must stand by our allies, 0:18:49.640 --> 0:18:54.240 and that includes giving aid to Ukraine, which has been 0:18:54.240 --> 0:18:57.880 the subject of a violation of one of the oldest 0:18:57.880 --> 0:19:00.440 and most important rules in norms, which is the importance 0:19:00.440 --> 0:19:04.960 of protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of 0:19:05.040 --> 0:19:09.359 Russia's unprovoked aggression and attempt to use forced to change 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:15.119 borders the first war in seventy years in Europe, and 0:19:15.160 --> 0:19:21.399 the United States must stand by our ally Ukraine on principle, 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:26.080 much less to stand strong about what is American leadership 0:19:26.119 --> 0:19:30.760 to uphold international rules and norms. And by the way, 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:33.200 I've now met with over one hundred and fifty world 0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:38.000 leaders katie presidents, prime ministers, chancellors, and kings, many of 0:19:38.040 --> 0:19:43.600 them now multiple times they look to us to be 0:19:43.840 --> 0:19:46.280 a leader on so many of these issues. I've been 0:19:46.280 --> 0:19:49.119 in the Oval Office with the President, with President Biden 0:19:49.200 --> 0:19:51.879 when he will get calls from world leaders asking for 0:19:52.000 --> 0:19:56.359 perspective and advice or support. So when we talk about 0:19:56.359 --> 0:19:59.680 the United States Congress on an issue like Ukraine or Israel, 0:20:01.200 --> 0:20:03.159 we should be able to do all of these things 0:20:03.200 --> 0:20:07.880 and not put conditions on one in exchange for the other. 0:20:08.720 --> 0:20:12.320 Let's turn to Israel, because it's been more than three 0:20:12.359 --> 0:20:17.520 months after the horrific attacks of October seventh, people are 0:20:17.520 --> 0:20:23.720 seeing graphic images of devastation and thousands of civilian casualties 0:20:23.720 --> 0:20:26.400 in Gos. I'm sure you're seeing them too, Yes, i am. 0:20:27.400 --> 0:20:30.439 Many people in your party, especially young people, have called 0:20:30.520 --> 0:20:33.720 for a cease fire for months now, and I'm wondering 0:20:33.760 --> 0:20:37.959 if you could articulate for us why you believe that 0:20:38.119 --> 0:20:40.600 is not a good idea if you do believe that. 0:20:41.560 --> 0:20:49.919 So let's start with October seventh. On October seventh, we 0:20:50.000 --> 0:20:56.959 saw a terrorist organization Hamas commit an act of sheer 0:20:57.000 --> 0:21:03.359 brutality and terrorism when they attacked and slaughtered over twelve 0:21:03.480 --> 0:21:07.080 hundred people, innocent people, many of them young people attending 0:21:07.080 --> 0:21:13.600 a concert. Women were raped horrendously, So not at all, 0:21:13.600 --> 0:21:15.600 it is all. Rape is always horrendous, obviously, but. 0:21:16.920 --> 0:21:21.800 The barbarism of the crimes. 0:21:20.480 --> 0:21:23.919 Rape is a tool of war, all right. And so 0:21:25.000 --> 0:21:28.679 I will start this conversation by saying, and Israel has 0:21:28.680 --> 0:21:32.679 a right to defend itself, we would, and how it 0:21:32.680 --> 0:21:38.600 does so matters. We've been very clear that far too 0:21:38.640 --> 0:21:44.760 many Palestinians, innocent Palestinian civilians, have been killed, and that 0:21:44.880 --> 0:21:49.280 Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians. We've been 0:21:49.480 --> 0:21:52.879 very clear humanitarian aid must flow from day one. I 0:21:52.880 --> 0:21:55.960 will tell you one of my areas of priority included 0:21:56.760 --> 0:21:59.480 let's think about the day after, because we must stay 0:21:59.480 --> 0:22:02.080 focused on an eventual to a state solution. 0:22:02.440 --> 0:22:04.760 Well, having said that, I want to tell you something 0:22:04.760 --> 0:22:07.800 which I'm sure you're well aware of that bb Net 0:22:07.960 --> 0:22:12.840 Yahoo Prime Minister net who recently said he rejected US 0:22:12.840 --> 0:22:16.520 calls to scale back Israel's military action in the Gaza 0:22:16.520 --> 0:22:20.560 Strip or to support a Palestinian state after the war. 0:22:20.960 --> 0:22:25.200 He even said that Israel quote must have security control 0:22:25.400 --> 0:22:29.520 over the entire territory west of the Jordan River, which 0:22:29.520 --> 0:22:35.359 includes Gaza. So given those positions, how can you possibly 0:22:35.480 --> 0:22:38.000 come together? How can the US and Israel come together 0:22:38.480 --> 0:22:42.760 to solve this? And should aid to Israel be conditional? 0:22:43.200 --> 0:22:46.520 So I'll start with the principles that we are applying 0:22:46.520 --> 0:22:49.919 to this discussion, which we have been very clear with 0:22:50.320 --> 0:22:54.680 the Israeli government about one as it relates to the 0:22:54.760 --> 0:22:57.919 day after. There should be no reoccupation of Gaza. There 0:22:57.960 --> 0:23:01.400 should be no changing of the territorial boundaries of Gasa 0:23:02.400 --> 0:23:08.000 that the Palestinians are entitled to in equal measure with 0:23:08.160 --> 0:23:13.520 Israelis security and prosperity. 0:23:12.960 --> 0:23:15.560 Doesn't sound like the Leonette now who agrees with that. 0:23:16.000 --> 0:23:18.520 We're the United States of America. I'm telling you our position, 0:23:20.040 --> 0:23:23.520 and we take our role in this discussion very seriously. 0:23:23.560 --> 0:23:25.679 There may be disagreements. That doesn't mean we're going to 0:23:25.720 --> 0:23:29.960 change our mind about the principles that are important to 0:23:30.040 --> 0:23:34.919 be applied to this process in terms of what a 0:23:35.040 --> 0:23:40.600 day after should look like, and those principles remain consistent. 0:23:41.119 --> 0:23:45.359 We believe very strongly. I believe very strongly Palestinians are 0:23:45.520 --> 0:23:51.080 entitled to dignity and self determination. We believe there must 0:23:51.160 --> 0:23:54.359 be a two state solution for the sake of the 0:23:54.400 --> 0:23:57.399 stability in the region. We believe very strongly, as a 0:23:57.440 --> 0:24:02.560 first principle, Israel must be secure that Hamas and it 0:24:02.920 --> 0:24:06.359 must not be in a position to commit terrorist acts 0:24:06.920 --> 0:24:10.400 against innocent people or the people of Israel in particular. 0:24:10.760 --> 0:24:15.359 So should AID that and Vice President be conditional. If 0:24:16.600 --> 0:24:20.520 the Prime Minister of Israel is stating this, should that 0:24:20.640 --> 0:24:24.840 AID not come if there's not that kind of flexibility 0:24:24.920 --> 0:24:25.800 that you're seeking. 0:24:26.960 --> 0:24:30.919 We are right now in a position of negotiating with 0:24:31.040 --> 0:24:33.880 Congress to follow through on a commitment we made for AID, 0:24:34.600 --> 0:24:36.320 and we are taking it one day at a time 0:24:36.400 --> 0:24:38.760 in terms of what is happening in the region and 0:24:38.800 --> 0:24:40.879 how we are addressing the issue. But that's where we 0:24:40.920 --> 0:24:41.520 are right now. 0:24:42.320 --> 0:24:44.879 So I don't feel like you really answered my question. 0:24:45.680 --> 0:24:46.000 Well do you? 0:24:46.920 --> 0:24:48.760 But do you think it should be conditional? I know 0:24:48.800 --> 0:24:49.640 you're carrying out. 0:24:49.560 --> 0:24:51.000 That's about our position right now? 0:24:51.040 --> 0:24:56.439 Not right now? Yeah, okay, I'm want to turn to 0:24:57.040 --> 0:25:01.160 the accomplishments of the Biden administration. Good an infrastructure Bill, 0:25:01.400 --> 0:25:06.560 finally the Chips Act, the Safer Communities Act addressing gun violence, 0:25:06.600 --> 0:25:13.200 to name three legislative accomplishments. Low unemployment, millions of jobs created, 0:25:13.560 --> 0:25:17.359 inflation down, the stock market up. You don't hear that 0:25:17.480 --> 0:25:20.600 much from reporters, do you, in a form of a question? 0:25:20.880 --> 0:25:26.440 And yet and yet you and President's Biden's approval ratings 0:25:26.840 --> 0:25:30.680 are at historic lows. The President at thirty eight, you 0:25:30.920 --> 0:25:34.600 at thirty seven. Why do you think that is given 0:25:35.119 --> 0:25:36.600 what I just outlined. 0:25:37.520 --> 0:25:40.320 Well, first of all, if I listened to polls, I 0:25:40.320 --> 0:25:42.479 would have never run for my first office, or probably 0:25:42.520 --> 0:25:45.560 my second or third for that matter. So I only 0:25:45.640 --> 0:25:48.520 put so much stock in polls. 0:25:48.720 --> 0:25:50.240 But it must be discouraging. 0:25:50.480 --> 0:25:53.080 Well, no, here's the thing we have to we have 0:25:53.119 --> 0:25:58.240 to earn the reelect. That is, without any question, the 0:25:58.400 --> 0:26:01.760 right to be in a democracy. You got to earn 0:26:01.760 --> 0:26:07.120 the reelect and so our job. You are correct, a. 0:26:07.200 --> 0:26:10.960 We have historic accomplishments in terms of the economy, but 0:26:11.040 --> 0:26:15.200 we've done to move forward. It's science, technology and investment 0:26:15.240 --> 0:26:19.840 in the American workforce, growing the American workforce, rising wages, 0:26:20.400 --> 0:26:25.000 bringing down prices. Historic work has happened, no question. It 0:26:25.080 --> 0:26:28.320 is incumbent on us to let people know who brung 0:26:28.359 --> 0:26:31.760 it to them. Frankly, because here's the thing, Katie, when 0:26:32.600 --> 0:26:35.440 if you do want to look at polling, let's also 0:26:35.480 --> 0:26:38.800 look at the fact that it tells us that if 0:26:38.840 --> 0:26:41.520 you ask people how they feel about the fact that 0:26:41.560 --> 0:26:44.560 we finally kept the cost of insulin for seniors at 0:26:44.600 --> 0:26:49.760 thirty five dollars a month, hugely popular. If you ask people, 0:26:49.840 --> 0:26:53.120 how do you feel about the fact that seniors too long, 0:26:53.240 --> 0:26:55.879