>> hello, philadelphia. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, thank you, thank you. thank you. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, thank you, thank you. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> folks, thank you, jill.

i'm joe biden and i'm jill's husband. [cheers and applause] >> you all think i'm kidding, that's how i'm identified. everyone knows jill is a philadelphia girl, she loves this city, i do too. but to paraphrase the poet of james joyce i have to say this folks because i'm near my state, when i day delaware written on my heart. [cheers and applause] >> look, i'm mildly prejudice but i think she made a great, great second lady and she's going to make one heck of a first lady. [cheers and applause] >> folks, in the past few weeks i've been all across america, pittsburgh, iowa, south carolina, nevada, california, new hampshire and today philadelphia. [cheers and applause]

>> this campaign is just getting started. [cheers and applause] >> i promise you this, no one, no one is going to work longer, no one is going to campaign harder to win your hearts, your trust and your support than the son of catherine from pennsylvania and joseph from delaware. [cheers and applause] >> so those if you want to be part of this campaign, pick up your phones, pick up your phone now, send a text to the words united to the number 30330. that's united. 30330 or 30330. [laughter] >> you got it. it's on the back there. [laughter] >> so, look, look, it's a logical question people ask why we began this journey in this place, the great city of philadelphia, well, there's a

reason because -- let him go. that's not how we do it. other campaigns do it this way, we don't do it that way. [cheers and applause] >> you will not -- i made a pledge. i mean it sincerely. you will not hear me speak ill of another democrat. look, the reason we are here is because in a literal sense this was the birthplace of our democracy, it was here over 2 -- you know, two of the most important documents not only in our history but the history of the world were written right here. in 1776, the declaration of independence, we hold these truths to be self-evident.

these words, these words are the basis for american creed, quality, equity, fairness, decency, america didn't live up to that promise for most of the people at the time, the people of color, women, we were born of an idea that every single solitary person given half chance no matter where they're from, there's not a single thing they cannot do if they work at it. that's who we are. [cheers and applause] >> in 1887 -- 1787 the united states constitution, we -- we the people, the words changed everything. power rested in the people and not the government. freedom to think, to speak, to act, to criticize your government, all protected. we -- we became the model for the world and both documents, there's a singular word, we, we

hold the truth self-evident. we the people. [cheers and applause] >> both, both. we have to remember this. statements for common purpose, a common purpose, of one people, one nation. our constitution doesn't begin with the phrase we the democrats or we the republicans, and certainly doesn't begin we the donors. [laughter] [cheers and applause] >> look, it began with the phrase that stands for we are all in this together, we need to remember that today. i think more than any time in my career, politics has become so mean, so petty, so negative, so partisan, so angry and so unproductive, so unproductive. instead of debating our opponents we demonize them, instead of questioning judgments we question their motives, instead of listening, we shout, instead of looking for solutions, we look to score political points, but no more,

no more. [cheers and applause] >> because this politics is pulling us apart. it's ripping this country apart at the seems. our politicians, our politics today, division, the president is divider in chief. [cheers and applause] >> look, he's not the only one, far from it. he's just the worst practitioner of politics that singles out scapegoats and source out the other, anyone different in creed, of color, conviction, they are the problem, that's what he said. that's been the scheme used by politicians for decades, but comes as gigantic cost, i mean this from the bottom of my heart, comes with gigantic cost, it weakens us, distracts us, divides us, causes us to lose

credibility around the world, you know, picks at the wound and solves nothing. this is not who we are, this is not who we are and i absolutely refuse. [cheers and applause] >> that's who we have to be. folks n this country we are all bound together, great experiment of equality and opportunity and decency, we haven't lived up and we've never given up on it. everyone, and i mean everyone, everyone is in on the deal. that's why we are beacon of hope for the rest of the world, that's why the world is always looking at us, that must be -- i don't know who that is. america is unique in all the world. america, folks, is a idea, idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, powerful than

any dictator, it offers hope to retire, the poor, to breed free, it's written on the statute of liberty, we seem to have given up on that. america guaranty everyone and i mean everyone be treated with dignity, safe harbor. that's who we are. [cheers and applause] >> i believe america has always been at its best when america actors as one america. it doesn't make it any less profound. this nation needs to come together, it has to come together. folks, we started this campaign when we did, i said i was running for 3 reasons, the first is to restore the soul and nation, the essence of who we are.

i mean it. [cheers and applause] >> the second, rebuild the backbone of the nation and the third, to unit this nation. one america. one america. [cheers and applause] >> folks ui know some of the smart folks say democrats don't want to hear about unity, democrats are so anger, angrier a candidate would be the better he or she can win democratic nomination, well, i don't believe it. i really don't. if democrats -- i believe democrats want to unify the nation, that's what the party has always been about. [cheers and applause] >> that's what it has always been about. unity. the american people want president to add more division, lead with clinch fist, closed hand, hard heart, to demonize your opponent, spew hatred, they don't need me they've got president donald trump.

folks, i'm running for all, democrats, republicans, independents, future that fulfills true potential. some of the same people are saying, biden doesn't get it, you can't work with republicans anymore, that's not the way it works anymore, well, folks, i'm going to say something outrageous, i know how to make government work. [cheers and applause] >> not because i talked about it but because i've done it. i've worked across the aisle to reach consensus, help government work in the past, i can do that again with your help. [cheers and applause] >> for me -- to me our principles must never be compromised but compromise itself is not auditory word, consensus is not a weakness, it's the only way founders down the road there thought it was the only way we could govern.

it was necessary, it was designed the way the constitution sits, requires consensus. [cheers and applause] >> i did it when i was a senator, it's what i did as your vice president, worked with barack obama. and it's what i will do at your president. [cheers and applause] >> let me be real clear u everybody listen, democrats and republicans, if i'm elected your president i'm going to do whatever it takes to make progress on the matters that matter most, civil liberties, civil rights, women's right to choose, national security, health care, an economy that rewards work not just wealth, climate change policy that will save our children and grandchildren and this planet. [cheers and applause] >> i know there are times -- i know there are times there's only a bear knuckle plate will

do, i know, we have to take on republicans to do what's right without any help from them, that's what it took to pass the affordable care act. [cheers and applause] >> that was a tough fight. it was a big deal. [laughter] >> which reminds me, i think we should step back and say something we don't often say as nation, barack obama was an extraordinary man. [cheers and applause] >> extraordinary. i watched, he has character, courage and vision. [cheers and applause] >> he was a president our children could and did look up to. [cheers and applause] >> he was a great president. and i was proud to serve as vice president but never more proud than the day we passed health care. [cheers and applause] >> health care. a lot of presidents before tried it, other administrations have

not been able to do it but it was done by barack obama without a single republican vote. i know thousand get things done. i know how to go toe to toe with the gop but doesn't have to be and can't be that way on every single issue. look at the recovery act, recovery act, the cornerstone of the nation's economic recovery from the debt of the greatest financial crisis sort of depression that we ever faced in the history and that's a big reason, big reason we now have had 10 years of uninterrupted economic growth. [cheers and applause] >> but we need it. we need it to find 3 republicans in the united states senate to get it passed. it was my job to find them, persuade them, i did, they did and the country did better than it has before. [cheers and applause] >> one more, one more, i know

president trump likes to take credit for the economy and the economic growth and low unemployment numbers but just look at the facts not the alternative facts. [cheers and applause] >> president trump inherited an economy from obama-biden administration that was given to him. just like he inherited everything else in his life. [cheers and applause] >> just like everything else he's been given in his life, he's in the process of squandering that as well. [cheers and applause] >> look, recovery act helped save the nation from economic growing to get down, to get down, we had to get the work done, we had to bring a few relationships along -- republicans along and if we hadn't done it we would have had

depression, the american people want the government to work. [applause] >> i don't think that's too much to ask. you know, i know some people in dc say, you it can't be done, well, let me tell them something, make sure they understand this, the country is sick of the division. [cheers and applause] >> they are sick of the fighting. they're sick of the childish behavior. there isn't single person among you or anywhere in the country that could get away that and their jobs. all they want is president, senators, representatives to do their jobs. just do your job. [cheers and applause] >> folks, above all have a president, a president who measures his or her days by the people he brings together, rather than division that he sows.

look, folks, we all know as well as i do we wouldn't be here, you know the serious work that has to be done, but it's not being done by a president who wakes up in the middle of the night and war on twitter like the guy in the whistle back there, i wonder whose campaign he's with, obsessing over personal grievances, look, the most important thing to remember, the rest of the world isn't waiting, china isn't waiting, they are building 5g, mastering ai, they're rewriting the rules of the internet, they're moving into areas that should not be abandoned by us. the rest of the world hasn't given up on the paris climate accord, they are pushing it. they know it's essential to human existence. [cheers and applause] >> folks, the greatest

challenges we face in the future will be over at technology, intellectual property, clean energy, a warming planet, there's not a single thing that building a wall or imposing another tariff can address in any of these issues. [cheers and applause] >> folks u we need a 21st century strategy for america. [cheers and applause] >> but every tool that donald trump uses is out of the path, folks, we have to get focused, focused on the future. it's the only way we will invest in educational system, our people need to succeed in 21st century. jill always says, he's a community college professor, she always says, any country that's outeducates us will outcompete us. that's just a natural fact. [cheers and applause] >> folks, that success will come when we generate free community colleges, invest in

apprenticeship, continuing education allowing people to fill jobs of the future, stronger commitment to prek and so much more. folks, we know it works. we know what we have to do and let's stop fighting and start fixing. [cheers and applause] >> we want joe! we want joe! >> i need you. i need you. folks, we all know the affordable care act was a historic achievement, 20 million americans got coverage, over 100 million people with preexisting conditions could no longer be denied coverage. amazing. restore dignity for the parents who could not restore to take care of their children's health care and now we need to go to the next step, we shouldn't start over and we surely shouldn't tear it down.

to me giving every american, every american the right to choose a public option like medicare is the best way to get everybody covered, if they choose. [cheers and applause] >> folks, focusing on the future is the only way we will be able to build a new green infrastructure, not only new and safer roads and bridges but highways, ports and also our airports. we can make them greener and more rational and we can do a lot, water systems, no one in this country has to drink poison water. [cheers and applause] >> there's no question, there's no question protect this nation from cyber-attacks, able to transmit solar and -- and wind energy across those same lines, folks, we know what we have to

do, that's why i'm running and as i said, let's stop fighting and start fixing. we can only do it together. [cheers and applause] >> folks, it's the only way we will deal with existential crisis pose bid climate change, there's not much time left, we need a clean energy revolution and we need to start on. [cheers and applause] >> by the way u we have to stop to think clean energy and job creation don't go together, they do, they do. [cheers and applause] >> we need to set the most goal as possible but, folks, we have to work together to get it done. we will never convince climate deniers or special interest, but even now, some of those special interests are traditional polluters are realizing, gas and oil industry, automobile manufacturing, guess what, on

television, mr. president, you have to do something about global warming. the oil industry because they will be under water, not a joke. not a joke. the automobile industry, barack and i came along we will double the standard, they thought it was a good idea. they didn't even agreed with the president -- who is he trying to please? folks, we need a president who is willing to lead. [cheers and applause] >> sake of our children. folks, let me tell you something, the single most important thing we have to accomplish to get this done, the single most important thing we have to accomplish is defeat donald trump. [cheers and applause] >> folks --

>> we want joe! we want joe! >> folks, the longer donald trump is in the white house, as long as donald trump is in the white house, critical things, if you want to know what the first and most important plan in climate proposal is beat trump. one thing we need to remember. one thing i just discussed from everything i just discussed from education, infrastructure, to health care, to climate, there's overwhelming agreement among american people, what should be done, that's true, he doesn't, but the people are not divided. it's our politics that's divided. and that gap, that is causing and worst elements in our society, people coming out of

the rocks, folks, you asked me a few years if our democracy was at stake i would have smiled and laughed a little bit, no more. no more. the threat to this nation, to our democracy is real. it's clear and it's present. we've watched the president now for 3 years, look at what he's doing and instilling fear, not joking, instilling fear, sewing divisions, racial divisions, undercutting every institution that was designed to check the abuse of power by the president or anyone else, all this for what reason? all this in order to solidify his base and expand his power. think about it. think about this. fake news, enemy of the people, nothing to be dismissed. tyrants and dictators all over the world are using same

language to solidify power. attack of courts saying you cannot trust the judge because of his mexican ancestry. no, by the way, if i made the speech 10 years ago you'd laugh at me. you said that's not going to happen, that can't be america, democrat or republican. folks, attacks on branch of congress blocking the constitution responsibility to legitimately enghaij oversight placing him above the law and by the way, without a wimper from the republicans of congress who know better. they know better. [cheers and applause] >> they know better. folks, these things are corrosive and threaten the core value of the nation and undermine, they undermine our standing around the world. everything that has made america

america is at risk. let me ask you, are we a nation that believes there's a moral equivalence between right supremacists, neo nazis, the ku klux klan and those with courage to stand against them, no, we don't. but trump does. trump said there's a moral equivalence. are we a nation that believes ripping children of the arms of the parents at the border, no. we don't, but trump does. are we a nation that embraces dictators and tyrants like putin and kim jong un? we don't but trump does. look, every day we are reminded in this election about we have to be remembered who we are, what we stand for, what we believe and every day we are reminded there's nothing guarantied about our democracy. we have to fight for it. we have to defend it. we have to earn it, we have to earn it. [cheers and applause]

>> we stand here today, only 140 miles from gettysburg, perhaps the most important symbol of nation's history and in gettysburg address lincoln not only honored but had message for the living, it is for us to be dedicated, government of, by and for the people shall not perish from the earth. [cheers and applause] >> folks, that set the challenge from lincoln to those, it was a challenge he handed down to every generation of americans that follow. now, that challenge has been handed to us and it's a test above all others that future generations of america will

measure us by, will we be the ones to let the government of, by and for the people perish from the face of the earth? we are going to let that happen? dare we let that happen? absolutely not. we will not. i will not. you will not. [cheers and applause] >> beacon will not and the a amazing thing about this moment in history, on the one hand we're facing the big threat any of us gathered in this field in this beautiful place, any of us have faced in our entire lifetimes. but on the other hand, on the other hand, we've never had a future that's more promising. i've said it many times, i'm more hospital mystic about america's -- optimistic about america's future today when i

got elected not old enough to be sworn in as senator at age 29. here's why. folks, we are better positioned than any nation in the world to lead the 21st century. [applause] and as i've traveled the world, and that was almost most of the world's leaders, they know it. without us, they can't lead. our workers are three times as productive as workers in asia. that's a fact, number one. we have the biggest economy in the world. we have the strongest military in the history of the world. [cheers and applause] we have the most innovative entrepreneurs. we're virtually energy-independent. we have more great research universities in this city, this state, this country than all the world combined. [cheers and applause] fact. no other nation can match us. if we step up, if we lead by the power of our example, not by the

example of our power, the only thing that can tear america apart is america itself, and we cannot let that happen. [cheers and applause] folks, everybody knows who donald trump is. even his supporters know who he is. but i have to let you know, here's the deal, we have to let them know who we are, what we stand for! [cheers and applause] we choose hope over fear, truth over lies and, yes, unity e over division! [cheers and applause] so, folks, it's time for us to lift off heads up, open our hearts and remember who we are. we are the united states of america! [cheers and applause] there's not a single thing we cannot do if we do it together! [cheers and applause] god bless you all, and may god protect our troops! thank you, thank you, thank you! [cheers and applause]

>> all right. almost 30 minutes there of an enthusiastic speech in front of an enthusiastic crowd introduced by that lady there, his wife, dr. jill biden, who is a philadelphia native. he's, vice president biden makes sure to say that i am jill's wife, by the way. but he ended on a rousing note saying we choose hope over fear, unity other division. he says we need to lift our heads,open our hearts and remember who we are. and there is vice president joe biden off to a start there in philadelphia, officially kicking off his first campaign rally there, officially kicking off his run for the white house come 2020. and he, as i said, he's hitting on that theme of unity. and, of course, this in the city of brotherly love which also happens to be the home to his campaign headquarters. and, you know, democrats are making a big push to put the keystone push back in the blue column. we want to welcome everyone to

"america's news headquarters," officially, i'm arthel neville. eric: good to have you back. on a big day as joe biden, longtime senator, officially kicks off his campaign. as you said, it was a spirited rally as his closest contender, senator bernie sanders, happens to be holding a town hall this hour in south carolina. pete buttigieg is gearing up for a fox news town hall tomorrow night in new hampshire. our chris wallace will be there. we just heard the vice president lace into president trump saying that this country has been divided with hatred and that we need to fix it and not fight, calling on some of the better angels of our nature which will likely be a major campaign theme of his besides some of the policy issues that he outlined in his speech that we just heard. all this comes as a new fox news poll finds that mr. biden is leading vermont senator sanders by 18 points already. but, of course, election day's a long way away.

how long could the vice president's momentum last and that lead continue? arthel: that's a great question. we want to talk about it with our political panel, jake macoby, former speech writer for loretta lynch. john thomas also with us, he's founder and president of thomas partners strategies and a republican pollster. boy, i'm sure you were listening, and i'm going to start with you, jake. one of the things that, notes that vice president biden ended off, he says the single most important thing we have to accomplish is defeat donald trump. that and unity. so, jake, is this why joe biden is resonating right now, and what will it take for the former vp to sustain the lead that he has over the other democratic candidates? >> well, i think it's certainly clear from this speech, this event that we just saw why president trump is afraid of joe biden. he's clearly capable of doing the job and clearly cares about

the future of this country and the american people. and that comes across pretty clearly. people are understand that, and that's pretty significant contrast with the current occupant of the white house. but the reality is there are a ton of extraordinary democrats running, and all of them are polling either ahead of or competitively with the president. and there's a reason for that. it's because any one of them would protect and expand health care rights in this country, any one of them would invest in the education and infrastructure that provides opportunity in this country. any one of them would help to unrig the economic system that sends money from workers to wealthy. and i think the american people respond to that, they understand that. that's why democrats are doing well. arthel: okay. i understand, and we want to be clear that, yes, it's very early, and by no means are we suggesting that vice president biden is going to be definitely the democratic nominee. we're not saying that. we're focusing on him today because he had the rally there just now. and also someone rallying today is senator bernie sanders, john, asking you now, you know, how

does bernie sanders fight back, and should he strictly pack political punches, or will he get personal? >> well, i actually think sanders is still the candidate to beat in the democratic primary. he more closely aligns with the heart and soul of where the passion of democratic voters are right now, which is, quite frankly, far to left. he is the purity e candidate when it comes to, you know, all these other candidates that are running are kind of johnny come latelies. they weren't socialists, but they are democratic socialists now because it's cool to be so. i think sanders is playing it smart. i think his support will stand with him, and i think biden's support is way overestimated right now for a couple reasons. first, it's largely a function of name id. biden is probably one of the best known politicians in the world. so i think id is number one. number two, the reason he's doing well besides id is the promise that he can beat trump. but the second that promise starts to look shaky, meaning

biden underperforms with a fundraising quarter, he has a gaffe -- arthel: let me stop you right there, john, because i want to give jake a chance to respond because, rightly so, john, you're the republican on this panel, so you're going to have a particular spin on it because that's what we do, that's what you do, and i understand that. the other side does it as well, i'm not just saying you. but i want to stop for a second because, or jake, i need you to respond. john is sitting here and saying, oh, yeah, joe biden is polling now with the democrats because they're, you know, he promises to beat donald trump. there's no guarantee that he can beat donald trump. he's also saying that, you know, the democrats really want a socialist. so, jake, i mean, you heard it, you get a chance. you jump in there. tell me what you're thinking the when you're hearing these comments. >> well, the truth is, and this is going to be an unsatisfying answer, is it could go both ways. we've seen in the past both expanded, inflated polling leads

that have collapsed as time went on, and we've is seen people like donald trump in 2016 who got in with a lead and held it the entire time. it's the hard to say, but that's why you have this extended primary season. not just the primaries -- the caucuses in new hampshire -- excuse me, the caucus in iowa, the primary in new hampshire and the whole series after that, but this whole process that leads up to this point so that everybody can kick the tires and see what these candidates represent. but, again, more than a candidate -- we're picking a candidate right now, but we're also talking about a platform and policy. and that's, i think, what people are mostly responding to. that's why -- arthel: well, he mentioned social security, health care and climate change. social security, health care and climate change. will that resonate with the voters? >> for sure. i think that all these resonate with voters. arthel: right now we're -- >> let me -- arthel: hang on one sec. i know you're there, john, and i'm definitely going to give you a chance to wrap this up. i don't want to be unfair to you

at all. jake, those policies that vice president biden pointed out at the rally -- again, social security, health care and climate change -- is this what it takes for him to become the president again? >> i think that's partly what it's going to take for anybody on the democratic side to be president, looking into the future and trying to tackle the challenges we face, and those are three big ones. and whether a candidate can speak compellingly about those things is going to determine whether they become president. but i think it is extremely important, and you're seeing that now, for people to be able to draw a contrast between approaching these issues with an eye to future and an eye to kind of country that we can be versus president trump's approach which is to look back to a past that never was and say we can be that again. and i think the future is always going to be more compelling, and that's what the vice president was talking about. arthel: yeah. he said that we need a clean energy revolution, and we have to stop thinking that clean energy and job placement don't

go together. they do. okay, john. in fairness to you. i want to get you back in there. one of the things that vice president biden says, he says i know how to make government work not because i talked or tweet about it, but because i've done i. i know how to work across the aisle. and he mentioned again his platform of social security, health care and climate change. so, john, back to you. so is biden really the one that president trump wants to take on? >> i think trump, honestly, can probably beat any of the cast of characters that are running at this point. and i just look at one stat. it's ironic that biden relaunched his campaign in pennsylvania, a place where unemployment under joe biden's watch was 5.2% but is currently 3.8%. these are numbers that affect anybody who runs against president trump. and i'll draw one more thing, i think, where joe biden's numbers are inflated. in south carolina, for instance, joe biden is capturing 58% of the african-american vote. kamala harris is at 12%. cory booker's at sub-10%.

those numbers are going to move. i think joe's just, this is his note the sunshine. i don't think it's going to -- his moment in the sunshine. i don't think it's going to last because i don't think he has what it takes for the heart and soul of the democratic primary. arthel: who does? [laughter] >> good question. if i had to put a bet on it today, i would say bernie sanders simply because one thing we learned from trump in 2016 was that you don't have to have support in the 40s, you have to be in the mid to high e 20s if you have a fractured field. i'll close on in the, arthel. at this date today in 2015, donald trump had not even come town the escalator yet, so it still is early days. arthel: it's definitely still early, and president trump is definitely the one to beat, and he is going to be a tough contender, no doubt about that. jake and john, thanks to both of you. >> thank you. >> thanks, arthel. eric: let's bring in emily larson, political reporter for the washington examiner.

you know, emily, as these things go, it was kind of light on policy. as arthel mentioned, he did mention climate change, immigration, health care, calling for a public option like medicare. but his speech really was aimed at the higher angels of our nature, calling the president the divider in chief, quote, childish behavior. will this broad theme, going after behavior and tone and attitude, is that enough to resonate and take him to white house? >> well, joe biden's definitely trying to play them, this as him against donald trump and not trying to go after anybody else in the democratic party. but this is also why all of the other candidates are trying to do, show how bad donald trump is in office, and every single candidate is, in the end, running against donald trump. so what he's going to haved to do, he's getting a lot of attention right now because he's well known, and he just announced, and there's this, you know, reasons to be the talking about him. but the analysts that i've talked to said that the really big determining factor for biden

going forward will be the democratic debates and how he performs in those. compared to a lot of newer, fresher faces. i've talked to a lot of voters in south carolina and new hampshire who say that they're looking if for a new, fresher face for the party. they like bind, but they're hoping to see somebody better. eric what if the progressives start nip thing at him and taking -- nipping at him and taking away some of that support, some of the moderates and mainstream members are concerned about the -- about that. >> certainly. you know, that is a little bit fractured right now. you have bernie sanders, elizabeth warren, a lot of candidates are trying to latch onto progressive ideas like medicare for all, climate change proposals and even ideas about -- senator cory booker has suggested a federal gun licensing system. each of them is trying to get some kind of faction of the progressive base there to propel themselves forward, but that's

hard to do when every other candidate is also trying to do the same thing. eric: 18 points ahead of sanders, doesn't that say something about his strength? >> certainly. i mean, he is well known, and he is -- does have, by far, the most experience out of anybody else running. he has had a nearly 50-year career in public office and in public, the public sphere. but, again, he does seem to have a pretty solid base right now. but he isn't to point yet so high in the polls where everyone should be going after him so much. i think if he was a little bit higher, we would expect to see that more. but, again, this'll be how he performs going forward, how much he can keep himself in the conversation instead of other candidates. he is dominating the media conversation right now as well as the polls, and as we saw in 2015 with donald trump, that gave him a big boost because he stayed in that media conversation. it's to be determined whether biden will adopt the same strategy or try and stay away

from being controversial. eric: well, he really is going after the president in terms of the president's tone, in terms of what the president has said, criticizing him for tweeting at 3:00 in the morning and questioning the role of american institutions that we hold so dear in our democracy, saying that those are threatened now under this president, under what some of the actions his administration and he has been taking. let's listen to what former vice president biden said about that just a moment ago. >> the threat to this nation, to our democracy is real, it's clear and it's present. you've watched the president now for three years. look at what he's doing, instilling fear. i mean, not joking, instilling fear. sowing division, stoking racial division. finish undercutting every institution that was designed to check the abuse of power by the president or anyone else. all this for what reason? all this in order to solidify his base and expand his power.

eric: will this campaign theme, pointing out at the president in his view threatening the very tenets of our democracy, will certainly continue, and will that work? >> well, it's -- i think all the democrats agree that donald trump should not be president, and there are going to be a lot of voters trying to vote him out. the more important question, i think, is whether biden can show that he can deliver on his promise to unify the country when there was already so much division when he was in office with president barack obama. eric: vice president joe biden launching as we saw here on the fox news channel from philadelphia. emily, thank you for your insight. >> thank you. arkansas right now, the crisis at the southern border reaching a breaking point. why border patrol is taking extraordinary measures to keep up with the surge of migrants, forming -- former acting i.c.e. director tom homan is up next to talk about that.

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ applebee's new loaded fajitas. now that's eatin' good in the neighborhood. ♪ ♪ arthel: new developments on the escalating border crisis. officials now saying they will be flying hundreds of migrants to several cities across the u.s. in an attempt to ease overcrowding at border processing centers. tom homan is here, former acting i.c.e. director and a fox news contributor. tom, i have lots of questions for you, i want to get to them because you're the expert here. 40 gistically, first of all, how will this work? who determines which migrants are placed on those planes? will there be a manifest to keep track of everyone? how will this work? >> there'll be a prioritization. border patrol stations are just not built to handle this many

people, and last thing they want to do create a further crisis in these facilities to keep kids, women and vulnerable population in a border patrol cell which wasn't designed for children too many days. they're going to look at the less vulnerable people, like if there's a sick child, a sycamore, they're certainly not going to send them. they're going to do the medical evaluations, and those that are more healthy, they'll go to other stations to be processed. so they're going to look at, first of all, the health of the vulnerable population and decide who needs immediate attention and can't be moved and those that could be moved. that'll be the first priority they'll look at. arthel: basically, assess medical conditions as well before deciding who's going to be placed on those planes. that's one thing. >> absolutely. no one's going to get on the plane without a medical evaluation because the last thing we want to do is send a sick child or mother across the country. arthel: i have to squeeze in a break, stay right there, tom homan, and we're back in a

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arthel: we're back with former acting i.c.e. director tom homan. tom, how many migrants are we talking about? how many migrants will be flown from texas to san diego, and once they get to california, how long will they stay? you know, the san diego rapid response network, which is a

coalition of religious and civic groups that has provided temporary shelter to asylum-seeking families since the large scale releases began in october, in san diego county they have sued the trump administration. so -- to recover the costs. so it seems that the receiving cities, they can't handle this increased flow. >> well, look, you know, you asked how many people are going to be moved, it all depends on the circumstances of that day. if they have 4500 people crossing, more people gotta get on planes. this isn't just the humanitarian crisis to get processed quicker is so they're in custody less, it's about the federal statute that says we can only detain children for 72 hours -- arthel: but when they get to san diego, for instance, are they going to be the released once they get there? >> they'll be processed and released, absolutely. arthel: ask you're saying they can't do that -- okay, so what's the difference having that done in texas? >> because if they stay in texas, by the time they get

processed, it'll take a week when you've got 4500 a week coming in the, these children are in cages. the border patrol facilities that aren't designed for children for days. the law says you can only detain a child for three days. i mean, that's required by federal statute. arthel: tom, i'm sorry, we are tight on time here. this is far too complicated to rush this. we have to get you back on with us. i have many more questions, i'm sure our audience does as well. it's $600 per flight -- $6,000. perhaps that the money could go to building better facilities. i'm not sure. i'd like to talk to you again, tom homan, we'll have you back. thank you sos much. eric:pa and we will be back at 4 p.m. s drivesense.® the safer you drive, the more you save. although i'm not really driving right now that would be unsafe. when insurance is affordable, it's surprisingly painless. onmillionth order.r. ♪

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♪ ♪ paul: welcome to journal editorial report, i'm paul gigot. tensions with iran increasing in the week with the state department ordering the evacuation of all non-emergency staff from the u.s. embassy in baghdad. the evacuation comes as military officials warn of potential imminent threats to american troops and interests in the region. the secretary of state, mike pompeo, responding to critics who say the administration is exaggerating the threat and trying to goad iran into war. >> we fundamentally do not seek a war with iran, but we've also made clear to iranians that, if american interests are attack thed, we will