from black voters, missing in '16, we'll see as this campaign unfolds if this vice presidential pick has that effect in 2020. >> fascinating. fascinating stuff. steve alt the big board, thanks. we'll be talking much more in the weeks ahead. another break in our coverage here as we await the first glimpse of the democratic ticket as a ticket. they were assembled just yesterday. appearing in person today at least as close as cdc guidelines will allow these days. you clean dishes as you cook,

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as we await the first official on-camera appearance as a duo by joe biden and senator kamala harris. we want to take a closer look at the history made yesterday already shaping up to be historymaking election during a pandemic after all, during an economic crisis after all, and with people in the streets fighting for racial equality, senator harris was born to immigrant parents from india and jamaica, the first woman of color, the first asian american. only the fourth woman period to

be on a major party presidential ticket. we're pleased to welcome our good friend, presidential historian michael beschloss. michael, talk about the orthodoxy that this choice and this ticket will now overturn. >> well, in a way there's sort of an orthodox side to it because you've got biden from tiny delaware in the east, harris from large california in the west, she's 22 years younger, so there's little bit of traditional ticket balancing but that is trivial to the history this ticket is making. 50 years from today, we'll say this was probably the wave of the future, the way of presidential tickets and vice presidents on those tickets will look much more this way than they did most for early american

history. >> we're already seeing how her bio just her makeup, who she is, and her resume is proving difficult for the republicans to kind of pigeonhole and criticize, do they call her an ultra-liberal, with other people allegedly she was too aggressive of a prosecutor and too close to the police during her time in law enforcement and the like, it's that kind of problem. >> and if they're flailing like that, that means they're losing, they really don't know how to sort of come at her and one of the reasons why joe biden chose her, but another important part of this when she was chosen yesterday the number of people who said, this is so american, god bless america, this is exactly the american dream, to immigrants, her parents from y

jamaica and india, come to the united states, their daughter could be vice president of the united states, it took centuries for this kind of thing to happen. >> michael, i imagine many of the books behind you reference the period in american history where we had so-called front por campaigns for president, none of the big crowds, of course, people forget there was no lock tronnic means of projecting the human voice until really just decades ago in our history, talk about how we've reverted to another time in the 1800s? >> when you were talking earlier, when you were talking about how this campaign has changed, 1896, william mckinley of ohio in canton was running against will jam jennings brian and he got this idea, the idea was my opponent is really good speaker and i'm terrible,

mckinley, so they decided to try to disguise this by inventing the front porch campaign, mckinley would greet visiting delegations on front porch, he won the election. as we think about this campaign is going to be about this fall, so little like many campaigns, i think there may be a future that we have in which at least for not only this campaign but maybe the next one and a few after that we'll not expect presidential candidates to go traveling around, being in big crowds where they could get sick. >> and michael, while zoom and our electronic media give you reach, this will be interesting because this will take away from the news media and writers of

history one form of measurement and that is what are the crowds like on the road, tell us about how the crowds, tell us about the enthusiasm level, just this last cycle, we had reporters at our news organization trying to phone in from the road and say, i don't know what i'm seeing, but you guys ought to listen up these trump rallies, these trump crowds are massive, and some of the clinton crowds were not and the excitement level was kind of a tell or a lack thereof. michael, this takes away a whole measure of campaign. >> it allows a candidate to basically give speeches and control his atmosphere a lot more, harkening back to 1968 where richard nixon's handlers for some reason he might not be the most captivating candidate who would ever run for president and so, you know, it seems

unusual now, then, it was the extraordinary thing of trying to run a campaign that was largely on television, pre-selected panelists, all orchestrated by a man named roger ailes. >> michael beschloss, full of historic references. thank you for being part of our coverage. as we await our first glimpse of this democratic ticket. another break for us. the first member of congress to endorse senator kamala harris and her presidential run and we await the start of this event featuring the democratic ticket for the very first time, joe biden and kamala harris, together in wilmington, delaware. our coverage continues right after this. verage continues rigt after this t, you're unstoppable. no sweat! try it and love it or get your money back.

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the scene, our cameras are only now able to set up and set the shot you see the podium with the tell prompter and the flags behind it. this is a high school stage in wilmington, delaware. because it's important atmospherically that whole region, for that matter the whole new york tristate area has been buffeted, continues to be buffeted by really severe weather, thunderstorms of the summer variety, that are just kind of hanging around, so it has delayed everything. reminder all of the news media for these days have to get temperature checked and only a limited number are allowed inside events like this. not to do weather here, but you see the new jersey, delaware area, where these so storms like popcorn are springing up with the afternoon heating and not going anywhere. so hopefully it won't interfere

with our electronic signal. let's bring in congresswoman stac stacey plasick. congresswoman, too long since our last conversation, good to see you. let's get right to an uncomfortable topic, there was campaign malpractice on the democratic side in 2016, pollster cornell belcher touched on it earlier and will again, the democrats know the mistakes they made, they know about the excitement gap looking back at it in the rearview mirror, investigators and historians will tell us whether or not donald trump's victory was entirely fair and square, but tell us how this ticket this time around with this electorate will endeavor to avoid the

mistakes of the past. >> well i'm glad i mentioned the touchy atmospherics along the east coast right before the congresswoman -- congresswoman, you're back, can you start again, you froze because all that's flying around in the air between you and me. please go ahead. >> okay, i just want to correct i wasn't the first member of congress to endorse her but we're some of her strongest endorsers, lot of mistakes that were made in that last election cycle and i believe we have learned from it. one of the things that we have learned i believe is the importance of our base, the importance of getting out the vote, the importance of not taking people for granted. the importance of sending out a clear message and i believe that vice president joe biden has sent a clear message to all

americans not only through his candidacy but by naming kamala harris as his running mate. i think this sends a signal to so many americans as to what he's about, he's inclusive, he's a statesman, he's ready to take on the task of running this country with someone who's like himself an ambitious person, someone who has, you know, fought with him on the campaign trail, but he's risen above that to recognize we're one family and we're all in this together to set this country back on its track. >> congresswoman, forgive the error. labeled an early and enthusiastic backer of kamala harris. >> thank you. one of the things -- >> sure, go ahead. >> one of the things that was a big mistake that we have to be

careful of in this election is the russian interference. let's remember when kamala harris was running for president she was targeted more than any other candidate by the russians, and what they did target her on, her record as a prosecutor, and giving disinformation and lies to americans, particularly black americans about what that record was, they have painted her to something that she's not. they can't give any specifics about it, a discussion that she put a lot of black people in jail, when in in fact she focused on children's civil rights, she created one of the leading programs to direct young people after they were arrested into training and counsel selling instead of jail. so we need to be careful and really recognize the influence of the russians. i know that she's aware of that as a member of the intelligence

committee in the senate. >> well, is that -- i'm guessing that a major source of frustration for you, we know the russians are back in the game again this time, it's clear and rolling, continuing danger. is that something you're going to devote yourself to just continue to raise your voice on and remind these people, the russians did it once, they can do it again. >> i think that the house democrats are fighting that. we know that our president does not want to have any fingers pointed at the russians and particularly at vladimir putin, but we are going to remind americans, we're going to holiday social media accountable. whether that's twitter or facebook or others, and expose what is going on and the influence that they have over the american people.

as well as fighting voter suppression and ensuring that americans can vote for their choice for president. >> having agreed to refer to her as an early and enthusiastic endorser of kamala harris, our thanks. great to see congresswoman stacy plask back on our broadcast. thanks very much for your time and for making the points that you did. let's bring our original panel back in us. peter baker, former congresswoman, donna edwards. pollster, cornell belcher. cornell, the conversation, as all of them do, eventually, returns back to you. let's talk about the campaign malpractice that weap witnessedn 2016. 2020 hindsight rules are in effect, of course, and how in your view this ticket at least addresses some of that.

>> look, not only the drop-offs in turnout, which steve showed earlier, but when you've got 828 to 7% of african-americans under 30 who are part of that core group of voters who help expand the electorate for president obama voting third party, you know, hillary's margins of being off of a obama's margins are almost exactly in the percentages of those younger voters who have voted third party and we know from the primaries upward that biden was having some problems with energizing that younger vote. brian, that younger vote was critical to barack obama getting to his first majority and second majority. 11% of our electorate in 2018 were newer voters who were not participating in that process

before. and part of our conversation on the obama compare before he even announced, we've got to build a movement to expand the electorate, because the electorate looks like the old electorate, we don't have a shot and if you look at obama's abilities to expand that electorate and win back-to-back majorities, it was built on bringing more people into the process, more sbers people in the process. i think the ticket today has a better choice of doing that, because younger people and younger people of color see a ticket that is reflective of them and their values. >> donna edwards, i have to say, people are still in awe at what we witnessed and you and i were together for a lot of that coverage in south carolina. the act of one member of congress, happens to be named clyburn and happens to be a powerful political name in that state. the sheer political power of one

man to turn around the hopes and dreams of joe biden and really was the first blue brick in that wall that the former vice president was able to build from the north, to the west, and to the south from there >> i remember that night and i think that what you saw also is kind of a strengthening of the resolve of black and brown voters behind joe biden and i would go even further and figure out the way this ticket is important, the biden/harris ticket is the way to galvanize the bedrock of the democratic party, which is galvanizing black women voters. and, you know, you add on then younger voters and some of these other constituencies, but i think that what you will see are black women who are volunteering, they're giving,

they're working their communities, they're dragging their young people to the polling places and to fill out ballots and put them in the mail. and i think what jim clyburn, the whip did, jim clyburn did was he sent a signal to voters in south carolina to line up behind joe biden and then voters in other states followed exactly what south carolina did. >> peter baker, i'm sitting here listening to congresswoman plaskett realizing on behalf of all of us in the news media the ongoing roll that russia is playing in this election. she very usefully reminded us all for a minimal social media investment, the trouble they caused, the brief harris campaign for president, with misinformation and feints, i

don't think american social media consumers are yet educated in what to look for. any of us, all of us, what to look for and what this misinformation looks like in realtime, because it is out there, it's a clear and present danger. >> well, it is, exactly right. and the united states intelligence agency said just last week that russia is still trying to meddle in the fall election, as we are speaking. and in fact, in favor of president trump. and the same intelligence reports that other nations are looking at possibly doing the same, so we need to be careful, not just to focus on the russians, but to keep an eye out for others, as well. they specifically cited china, which while not doing what russia is doing right now, they said, is considering doing something like that, could do something like that, in their case, they would be against president trump, according to these intelligence agencies. but it's a reminder that our election is, in fact, fragile and vulnerable to outside intervention and it's incumbent not just on the government to protect us, but on the media to

do our best to sort through this stuff and on voters themselves to pay attention to where information is coming from and to keep a skeptical eye until they feel like it's been confirmed. >> reporter: we're much obliged to have this panel along with us for the ride, as we monitor wilmington, delaware, as we can only guess the local flag dealer is very happy they came to work today. we're awaiting the very first campaign event as a duo, joe biden and kamala harris. live coverage coming back after the break. eak.t? is it because people love filling out forms? maybe they like checking with their supervisor to see how much vacation time they have. or sending corporate their expense reports. i'll let you in on a little secret. they don't. by empowering employees to manage their own tasks, paycom frees you to focus on the business of business. to learn more, visit paycom.com

it's 4:00 in the east. i'm chris jansing in for nicole wallace and we are just minutes away from the big event. joe biden and kamala harris together for the first time as running mates. an event set to invigorate the next chapter of this presidential campaign. their moment to stake out the battle lines in their fight against donald j. trump. it's coming almost exactly 24 hours after biden's historic announcement yesterday. senator kamala harris, the first black women, the first asian american on the presidential ticket of a major party. a self-described progressive prosecutor, a well-known force of nature in hearings on capitol hill. a candidate poised to draw a contrast in so many ways with donald trump and his legacy, at a moment when an outcry over racial injustice collides with a foundering federal response to coronavirus and as the president

stands accused of trampling over constitutional norms, with moves to openly undermine november's election. today, we can expect joe biden and kamala harris to bring the contrast against trump into focus. their campaign's guiding principle, a battle for the soul of america. their first chance together to make their case to the american people. joining us now, out in wilmington, ahead of the biden/kamala event, nbc news political reporter, mike memoli. so, mike, you have been on this ride throughout. this is a chance for joe biden and kamala harris to try to make a moment to set the stage in the tone for this campaign. so, tell me, right now, what are you seeing outside behind you and what are you hearing about what we should expect inside? >> reporter: yeah, chris, when we spoke a few hours ago, i was standing in front of the football stadium outside the dupont stadium here. what you're seeing behind me is something we didn't necessarily

expect today. remember, this is a pandemic campaign. this is a biden campaign that has been strictly abiding by any and all local health guidances, and they did not publicize the location of this event today. this is not an event that is open to the public. but we've seen a crowd of at least 100. my crowd-counting skills have gotten a little rusty since we haven't had to do that in a few months, but these are people who are largely from the local neighborhood, but i talked to a number of voters who have come here, some from as far as baltimore, up in philadelphia, a few hours away. it's interesting that they would come, just to be part of history, as they were saying. a number, as well, of women of color and young girls of color. i saw one sign, a girl saying, this is about representation. this really speaks to what the call for so long was on the biden campaign. of course, the former vice president had promised to choose a woman as his running mate. wouldn't necessarily commit to go further and choose a woman of color. but you're seeing behind me a little bit of the excitement and energy that kamala harris and her supporters have long argued

she could help bring to the ticket. we know that kamala harris is already on scene. that's what brought this crowd from the front of the school literally running from the back of the school in the hopes of catching a glimpse. we understand that the former vice president has not left his home, but he's only a short few minutes away. when he leaves, we'll probably see his suvs pull up behind me. and we'll see the two of them on stage, a critical moment for the campaign. an moment for the country to be reintroduced to two well-known figures in democratic politics, but the country wants this to be the introduction of the next president and vice president of the united states, chris. >> we're seeing that shot there. and there's lots of flags and it all looks very pretty, but it is not what we have come to expect, for sure. there are not those screaming, cheering crowds, they're not waving the sign s that say, you know, biden/harris. so what is the plan there. how do they take this moment, and clearly what's this spontaneous enthusiasm you're seeing in the crowd behind you. how do they make that moment?

>> well, we're seeing the biden campaign trying to translate this enthusiasm in a number of ways. especially important, of course, in this campaign where we're not going to see rallies, we're not going to see the kind of retail campaigning that joe biden, especially, loves. we're not going to see the kind of direct door-to-door organizing on the part of volunteers and staff of the campaign. so these kind of viral moments, these kind of moments that can be translated into digital moments are so important to the campaign. we're going to see that tonight. one of the other events we'll see on the schedule is that joint grassroots fund-raiser. the campaign announcing yesterday that they had their best single hour of fund-raising in the entire campaign after biden announced the choice of kamala harris. we've also heard from campaign officials that they've grown their digital list, their email list, their text list by hundreds of thousands, just over the last few days. that figure's a day old. i imagine we'll get an even more updated number over the coming days, once the dust settles on this announcement. and then the question is, of

course, chris, we know we have the convention beginning next week. a convention unlike any we've seen before. the campaign had to relocate so many aspects of it and so many speakers speaking voif ining vi. we talk a lot about the trump campaign and his attitude towards. the pandemic. the biden campaign very early on adapted to what they realized would have to be largely virtual and digital campaign. because of that, they are in a better position clearly to try to capitalize on this. to think of more creative ways to use the enthusiasm and energy and turn it into momentum towards actually getting votes in the fall, chris. >> mike, i'm sure we're going to be going back to you as those folks there in the crowd are waiting for what they hope is a moment to have a glimpse of history. stick around for us. we'll get back to you, i'm sure. in the in the meantime, let's bring in national political reporter for the super majority, juanita toliver, michael steele, and from "the washington post,"

white house bureau chief, phil rucker. so, juanita, just give me your big picture. as you look at that scene right behind mike memoli. as you see the people who they can't go in, there's no big crowds that are going to be gathered for this event. and yet you know what people have been putting on social media, the niaphone calls and t messages that have been exchanged over the last 24 hours. what do you think as this scene unfolds? >> i think people are excited and ready to engage with senator kamala harris as this historic vp selection. she is the first black woman, first south asian woman to be named on the democratic ticket in this capacity and people are excited. i think the other detail that you mentioned, chris, is this was an undisclosed location. so people did some online sleuthing to even find this out and are ready to show up. because this representation goes a long way. and we conducted some recent focus groups with women of color

in key states, and this is explicitly what they named. they wanted a woman of color, they wanted someone who would kman challenge biden. they wanted someone who would call his blind spots and kamala harris captures every single one of those qualities. so really excited for even this initial showing of support for her, whether it's the fund-raising, whether it's this crowd. i think we're going to see a lot more of it to come, because she is a figure who is going to bring energy into this race. she's going to bring excitement to voters and folks are really going to turn out behind her in support of her on this ticket. >> yeah, phil rucker, there's been a lot of talk, even before kamala harris was chosen, about how much joe biden had such a close relationship with barack obama, how he wanted that kind of relationship with his vice presidential pick. somebody who would challenge him. somebody who he also felt comfortable with. but how much of this do you think is about his vision for america and is that what we're going to hear about?

does she represent for joe biden the vision of america he wants to put out there today? >> i think that's certainly right, chris. she's a multi-racial candidate who represents a younger generation in america and a diversification of america over the last few decades. and biden himself has referred to himself as a transition candidate, as somebody trying to build a bridge to the next generation of leaders in the democratic party. he has clearly selected senator harris as the leader of that generation. and i assume we're going to hear some of that language in their remarks today. >> i want to play a little bit of the campaign video that went out, obviously, coordinated with kamala harris, that was put online as she was being announced. let's take a listen. >> america is in crisis. and i know joe biden will lead us out of it. he's a man of faith, decency,

and character. he raised his family that way. i saw it firsthand with my good friend, beau. as joe says, we're in a battle for the soul of this nation. but together, it's a battle we can win. we just have to take action. >> first of all, is the answer "yes"? >> the answer is absolutely "yes," joe. >> so, michael steele, i don't think there was any doubt about the answer to that question, is the answer "yes"? absolutely, yes. but what are you going to be looking for as we see the two of them take the stage sometime, well, any minute now? >> well, a number of things. first off, what is the chemistry. what is the role as it plays out here. how do they connect with each other and how does that connection then translate for the american people? certainly, you know, looking at it from an oppositional perspective, you know, the trump

campaign and the rnc, for example, are going to be keying in on that, and they're going to try to figure out where that sweet spot is to begin to drive some different messaging, some anti-relationship messaging, if you will. keeping in mind that she wasn't as warm and fuzzy about joe biden a few months ago during the primary, and it stung joe. and while joe has a card that says, you know, overlook and don't -- >> don't thoehold grudges. >> don't hold grudges. there are a lot of people who are looking at this from, you know, a partisan opposition perspective like, oh, yeah, we're going to hold a grudge for you. so looking at how they roll out this relationship is going to be important, because it's going to be definitional to joe biden's ultimate point, how they work together in the white house. and so over the next few weeks we're going to see that. and i think that's going to be an important tell, just how successful this team will be

going into a first term. >> well, juanita, i know that the super majority did a lot of conversations with low-propensity voters. those folk who is didn't show up for hillary clinton in 2016. and i found it really interesting in the report on that, that the vp selection was important to them. was going to make a difference for them. over the last 24 hours, what have you heard -- what does she bring to the table, kamala harris, as a person, what does her record bring to the table? what's the reaction going to be in terms of getting those folks to the polls? >> i think the reaction has got to be strong and enthusiastic. those low-propensity women voters in key states explicitly said, look, i didn't show up in '16. i redwrgret that now. i'm showing up in 2020 for two reasons. one, a vp candidate who is really going to be a pushing, driving forward force in this administration.

and two, to get rid of trump. that's the overall objective here that a number of voters are really excited about. but those specific qualities in senator harris that they're looking snow up again are her pushing biden, like she did on that debate stage. like it or not, michael steele, that is something that young women and women of color are looking forward to do. because i think they're also looking for senator harris to call out joe biden's blind spots and really push him on policy, push him on engaging with communities of color. and really have her as a peer. have her as someone who not only has biden's back, but is willing to push forward in her own right, as her own person, in her own leadership. >> can i respond real quick? >> yeah. >> i was going to say, it's not whether i like it or not. it's how the voters perceive this relationship. it's not on me, this is on joe -- >> all right, michael. >> but keep in mind, she is vice president. she is not president. there's only so much pushing she's going to be allowed to do

inside of an administration in which he is the president. so i think that's going to be an interesting part about this. i get all of the excitement that she pushed joe in a debate, but pushing joe inside the oval office is a very different dynamic and that's one that a lot of joe supporters were concerned about in selecting her in the first place. and to the question, what am i looking at, that's something i'm looking at, because she's a very strong independent woman in a very important role and that's going to be an interesting tell for how they work that out. >> how much of this, phil rucker, do you think is about the here and now? is there a part of it that is also about the future? joe biden is going to be, i think 78, if he wins and takes the oath of office. is this about leaving his park on the democratic party, sort of setting the stage for the next generation? >> absolutely, chris.

and it's not clear what the future may hold, but harris will be in a position to lead this party after a biden presidency, should they get elected. and so he selected her from a crop of other talented young democrats to be that heir apparent. it's also worth pointing out in this speech coming up later today, you know, one of the selling points for kamala harris, when you talk to a lot of democratic strategists skpeem on the biden campaign is her ability as a communicator to prosecute the case against the trump presidency. she did that in the hearings on capitol hill over the last few years. she also did that to great effect in her own presidential campaign. she's skilled, she's trained as a prosecutor. she has a sharp mind. and i think the biden forces are counting on her to help really crystallize that message of why they believe trump has failed the american people in these final, you know, two and a half, three months of the election.

>> one of the things that was interesting as you were watching the reaction yesterday, after the announcement on social media, i don't think i've ever seen so much enthusiasm, certainly not this early, for a vice presidential debate. it seems like the kamala harris supporters cannot wait for her to be on stage with mike pence. >> ready to see him ripped to shreds, as he should be, right? like, i think everyone recognizes the lack of ability, capability, smarts, know-how, leadership, coming out of the trump administration and everyone is really excited to see senator harris take pence to task, in a way that he hasn't experienced before. so, i think everything you've seen from her, whether it's on the senate judiciary committee or in the democratic primary debate stage, all of that energy is coming from mike pence. and that's going to be something that voters on the left and right are ready to gear up and watch. >> you know, it's an interesting time for so many reasons, michael steele. and the coronavirus being the

most obviously of them. but so many people are exhausted by the trump presidency. so many people are just exhausted, frankly. so many people are hurting. and frankly, if joe biden and kamala harris win an election, what faces them is daunting. it's not just the coronavirus, it's the economic impact of that. it's the international relations that need to be reestablished. it's the return of some obama-era policies, whether it's shoring up obamacare or it's getting back into the paris climate accords. the racial tensions. i mean, the list can go on and on and on and on. when you look at messaging, how much of this should be about a positive vision for the future and how much of it needs to be a reality check? >> oh, that's such a good question, because that's exactly what this election is going to be about. yeah, there are going to be folks who are going to want to

talk about health care and talk about the environment and a number of other things that are important issues, but i think this really is a referendum, number one, on the trump administration. and number two, that reality check. folks, this is where we are. this is -- the pain you're feeling, your neighbors are feeling. your community is feeling. your country is feeling. but, this is a way forward. and i think that juxtaposition, and that sort of movement out of that reality, and bringing that reality with you, by the way, into something that's more definitional about what we want to do together, to deal with this, i think is going to be important. this is where i think kamala could be very helpful. joe biden is going to be instrumental in healing that global relationship, all right? with all of our partners around the globe. no doubt about that, and reestablishing the boundaries between putin and the u.s., for example. but kamala has the opportunity, because of her state and federal service, to sort of help nurture

that domestic issue. those domestic issues around some of these core issues, as well. so they're going to make a good tandem in that respect, in terms of that forward movement of the agenda, i think. >> you know, early on in this process, phil rucker, there were a number of republicans who would tell you what they would not say in public, which was, how impressed they were by kamala harris, that they were concerned if she was going to be the selection here. and i wonder, when you look at her, the skills that she brings to the table, the relationship, obviously, that joe biden believes that the two of them will have, and then, conversely, you see today, the president has just called a 5:30 news conference. they announced in the last hour or so that during the dynamic, he he's going to be traveling to key battleground states. what are you hearing from inside the white house now about their concerns?

>> well, look, there's an effort inside the trump campaign to try to have a more disciplined and clearer message about defining kamala harris than the one that came out in the first 24 hours yesterday, which was a rather scattershot attempt to define her in any number of ways. the trump forces right now are really honing in on this idea that she's a far-left radical, as they put it. that she's going to be pulling biden further to the left and she's going to be acting as some sort of puppeteer orchestrating a biden presidency. that's the argument that we're hearing trump campaign officials and trump surrogates start to make. now, whether the president himself will be able to stick to that script in his news conference or whether he'll start referring to her as nasty, as he did yesterday, which is certainly a agengender, sexist description for her is to be seen. but they're really grappling with what's going to stick here for harris. and they're making a gamble that

by portraying her as some sort of ultra-liberal from california, that that's going to have some effect, especially with some of the suburban white women voters that the president is trying to bring back into his coalition before the election. >> yeah. in fact, in an rnc email that came out that was supposedly, juanita, a reaction to their rollout, but it came out before the rollout, the headline was, kamala harris is extreme. you've heard some of the zriptezript e descripters that have been used against her already, what's your anticipation of what she will be facing as a woman and a woman of color? >> i'm expecting her to face a barrage of sexist and racist commentary from trump, from his administration, and from the right, writ large. that's their playbook, their happy place, something they know will appeal to the core of their base. something you mentioned before, and as phil mentioned, without an actual argument of substance

against senator harris, they will default to these base timeline disgusting tactics associated with sexism and racism. and honestly, what i do look at, considering the trend of trump continuously using that over the past three-plus years is that's actually going to motivate democratic women to turn out en masse. so i think senator harris, being the first of many times and now again as the vp selection, she is up for this fight. and so she won't be backing down from any of those sexist and racist disgusting statements that we are anticipating coming from the right. >> and michael steele, to contrast with that messaging, again, it's going to be interesting to hear what we see, what we hear, what we see from joe biden and kamala harris. and i'm thinking, and by the way -- and there we're seeing an arrival, so very soon we may see joe biden getting out of the car, which is what all of those folks are waiting for. but, again, to what he might say, you are a recent sign-on to the lincoln project, which came,

you know, a nano second after the announcement was made with one of their ads about kamala harris, but there was one line that struck me. this is the america of our better angels. talk about that, will you? >> well, it goes back to the question you asked me before about how the messaging evolves here. and i think the one thing that a lot of people have about joe is an understanding. they just understand the guy. they've been in his space, we've been in his space for 30-plus years. which makes it so hard for donald trump to define him, the way he would like to. the way he's defined and dismissed republicans who were standing on that debate stage with him in '16. the way he defined and dismissed hillary clinton with the aid of a lot of people who had already themselves defined her in a negative way. that's not this narrative. and so what he has a chance to

do is pull people back from that space. from that old kind of bully playground kind of environment and talk about, you're better than that. we know you're better than that. we're all as a country better than that. so our better angels, which have guided us to this point, we need to reestablish that kind of relationship with each other and move us out of these difficult times. move us out of this difficult economic and health crisis that we find ourselves in. that's keeping it real, right? having that reality check, but then again, also reminding us, hey, we've been in tough spots before as a country. and we didn't turn on each other. i didn't have to play the race card, place the, you know, the misogynist card. i talked to you as an american about our situation. and i look to you as an american to help us move forward. i think biden is going to be really strong in making that

case. and the counternarrative for trump is what? >> michael steele, former rnc chairman, national political director for the super majority, juanita toliver and "washington post" white house bureau chief, phil rucker, thanks to all of you. and joining our conversation now is the president and ceo of voto latina, maria teresa kumar, and political strategist steve schmidt. i don't know if you guys have this view that we're seeing, but these folks who turned out spontaneously at what was not a well-advertised location, but wanted to be there for what they see as this moment in history. maria teresa kumar, what are you seeing in this moment? >> it's joe biden picking kamala harris is ushering the future in many ways. we know that women are the ones that are very much the underpinning of the democratic party. we know that black women are the

ones that lead that party. and in kamala harris, not only is she identifying with black women, with immigrant women aspiring that their daughters can too be part of that stage some day occupying the white house and beyond, it's also talk about the policy issues that we need to address. in kamala harris, we know that she wants to revisit some sort of universal income. we know that shep wa wants to revisit policing and talk about immigration reform. so he is in kamala harris bridging the future that so many americans want to talk about. we had michael steele just talking about this president who's incredibly divisive and trying to pit one america against the other. by having kamala harris on the ticket with joe biden, what he is clearly saying is that as americans, our diversity is what unifies us. and because of covid and the covid pandemic, we have real issues that we're going to have to address, along social inequities, whether we're talking about the racial upheavals that we're seeing, whether we're talking about

health care, whether we're talking about recovering the economy. these are the forefront of the democratic party's coalition, where we're going to need black, brown, young people and white suburban women and kamala really does a great job of bridging those two pieces. >> and steve, these are two campaigners who, i'm sure you have seen, i have seen them in small group settings. they know how to work a room, so to speak. they're very warm, they're very engaging, they're very focused on who they're talking to, but here we are in a big gymnasium with some people spread out, some members of the media spread out. how do you take this moment? how do you make this the best of what these two candidates are, which is what any presidential and vice presidential candidate wants to do at their rollout? >> good afternoon, chris. what this moment is is a, is an

important one. and we'll see the democratic party's presidential and vice presidential nominees walk to that podium, make their first appearance together, and hopefully be inaugurated on the 20th of january. and should they be elected and inaugurated, they'll be taking office in the middle of one of the great crises in the history of the united states. not since abraham lincoln took the oath of office in 1861 will an american president be entering office similarly constituted against a range of challenges that biden is going to have to deal with, with his partner, kamala harris. now, when we consider the fact that there's 162,000 americans dead, that the american economy is shattered and broken, that hopes and dreams of small business owners have been crushed, that we're on the front

edge of a mortgage foreclosure crisis and eviction crisis. when you ponder the reality that those gymnasiums will stay empty, there won't be basketball, the schools that are opening are likely to close pretty quickly. when we look at the lack of sports and college football and the secular traditions that play out over the course of every fall, every american is feeling lost and they're right to blame the person who's responsible for it, donald trump, because none of this had to be. and so, what i would like to see is for the vice president and senator harris to indict donald trump for what he is, which is the biggest failure in the history of the american presidency. in fact, the greatest failure of any american who's ever been charged with responsibility in a crisis, to lay out a vision for recovery. how do we begin to walk back from the line on the cold civil

war that trump has provoked amongst the american people, who are at each other's tloehroats to appeal to the better angels of the country that we have much more in common than we do in difference. and thirdly, to talk about in specific detail how the united states will begin to repair its relations in the world and articulate to the american people how we're going to move past this deadly pandemic, where there's so many more yet to die because of the horrendous incompetence we've seen from the administration. >> and we are told that both the former vice president joe biden and kamala harris are in the building. so they may come out to that podium any moment now. what we don't know, maria, is whether or not they'll stand close together. we don't know whether we'll get that image that is so familiar in situations, hands clasps,

raised above their heads. but in some ways, does the fact that they're in this gymnasium, that people are spaced apart, that there aren't cheering crowds, does that image alone without even saying anything send a message about where we are as a country and the justification for why they believe donald trump needs to be removed from office? >> one of the biggest challenges, chris, that we've had in dealing with this pandemic is we've had a president that says we should not even wear a mask. when you and i both know that the cdc has said that simply by wearing a mask, we can prevent 96% of the deaths we expect between now and december. that's huge. by employ social distancing and making sure everyone is wearing a mask, in biden and in kamala harris, we are seeing the leadership that is often missing in the general public. something that we do know, and i often like to equate that

oftentimes people will say, i don't know why i should wear a mask. well, we take our cues from the leader in the white house. imagine being on a cruise ship and people, the crew whispering that the ship is sinking, but the captain is saying, everything is just fine. well, things are not just fine. and however the vice president and kamala harris present themselves right now will communicate not only the urgency of yes, wearing a mask, but also the urgency of change. because right now, having donald trump in the white house, in his underperformance of malpractice, of governing and not being able to provide clear answers for people to be safe, cannot -- is not sustainable for the next four years. and i think that is what the american people are looking for. i know that in the latin-x community, when kamala harris was announced, we know from polling that 35% of latinos are more likely now to vote for vice president biden, because we're looking for stewards of our nation. and that is what they offer. they offer a reprieve, but also an opportunity to thi large and audacious, because right now

the issues that we are facing as americans are not small. and it is only once in a hundred years, it seems, that we are presented with an opportunity to reimage what america looks like. these are the issues of the great depression, these are the issues of fdr. what will this new generation look like by ushering vice president biden into the white house with kamala harris, and bridging again the generation of the past with the future. that is what i'm looking for and i believe what they've been able to demonstrate, that even during political differences, they can come together for the betterment of the country. and that's something that is absolutely deficient in donald trump. >> steve schmidt, i was talking earlier to your newly joined colleague, michael steele want the ad that was put out very quickly after kamala harris was named and the line that struck me about this is about the america of our better angels. and contrast with the fact that it didn't take long for donald

trump or any member of team trump to turn this very, very personal, steve. >> oh, for sure. listen, this will be the most disgusting political campaign in american history. donald trump won't just physically -- excuse me. donald trump just won't assault verbally kamala harris and vice president biden and do all of the things he does, but he's real really, he's a constitutional vandal. he's a political arsonist. he'll burn everything down in order to try to win the presidency for a second time. and look, you have a 231-year tradition in this country of elections conducted with integrity. we have a president who is consistently undermining the integrity of the election. saying and intimating that if he loses, he'll -- if he loses, it will be because he was cheated. and explicitly, look at the messaging. donald trump is saying suburban housewives, and by suburban housewives, it means that he has

this caricature in his head of women from the 1950s. i don't know if he was up eating cheeseburgers watching the stepford wives over the weekend on late-night cable of what have you, but this notion of what's coming to harm the pure, gentle housewife of suburbia, this big, dangerous black person, low-income housing. it's so overtly filled with racial animus, that it just bergs the imagination. it's all offer the bottle. right? what we're seeing here is what it would look like if george wallace was the president and he was running for re-election. you have a house candidate who won a primary last night who's one of these qanon conspiracy nuts. president of the united states was on the phone congratulating her. and so you see the attacks coming from the republicans about extremism, but when you look at the trump

administration, all you see is extremism, wherever you look. from crazy pastor paula, the white house faith outreach director and her outlandish and bizarre-o statements. from jerry falwell jr. everywhere you look around trump, you see extremism, you see a shattering of norms and traditions. you see vile attacks, untrue attacks, non-stop constant lying. so, we do know that kamala harris is tough enough for this. she ran a really brave first-time presidential campaign. she played a major role in the presidential primary contest. now she's the vice president. she's part of a team that's going to have to lead a recovery in this country that's very -- that's every bit as complex and challenging as the issues that fdr was dealing with, as complex and challenging as the issues that lincoln was dealing with. it is an hour of american crisis

at the highest level. we've not been in this situation, but a few times in our history and it's going to take acts of tremendous leadership to move us out of it. >> and this is the first chance we will get to see joe biden and kamala harris together since she was named as his running mate. we're going to keep our eye on what's going on inside, but i want to briefly check in with mike memoli outside. i'm wondering if the crowds are still there? if any of them had a chance to see or to interact with joe biden. what's it like where you are? clearly, people aren't leaving, mike. >> reporter: no, they're not, chris. and just a note about the layout of this school here. a lot of the crowd that you see behind me now was initially in the front of the school, expecting, as you might, as a person in the general public, that the former vice president and his running mate would come in the front door. of course, with secret service, that's not the case. you might be able to see the fleet of suvs behind me. they're being staged back there,

but the actual entrance with biden and kamala harris would have entered actually would have just been out of frame to the side of the building. we do understand, i know the former vice president, when he arrived, he did poke his head around the corner and wave a little bit to some of the crowd. you might have heard a little bit of a hoot and holler from some of the crowd when they saw him. but he's now inside a as we're waiting for this event. a couple of other notes. you might have seen a live shot i was doing with chuck earlier in the pouring rain. there's been threatening skies overhead. still at this moment, a little bit of rain and thunder every so often. that's still the case, not deterring the crowd. but it is affecting the power situation inside. we understand from the pool reporter inside that there actually is a power outage in the area. you might even be able to hear the very noisy generator that kicked into action behind me. i saw the lights flickering on and off a little bit. there has been severe storms in this area over the last week, especially in this particular area. i saw some trees uprooted actually into a neighbor's house on the street where biden lives. so power has been an issue here, as i know it has been in parts

of new york. a lot of people who are viewing there. so if there is a technical glitch inside during this has speech and the power goes out again, you'll know perhaps that the generator went out. one last note, though. as you see a lot of the crowd behind me, no social distancing, but i have to say, the exception rather than the rule, everybody is wearing a mask. and we know masks have become a political statement of sorts. we saw the president at his golf club in new jersey this weekend. a lot of those who were in the ballroom when he did a news conference having to -- not wearing a mask. they handed them out once it became a little bit of an issue, reporters flagging the room. virtually everyone around me i see today are wearing masks, chris. >> thank you, mike memoli. we'll hope that that generator holds out so they can get through this. i don't want to pull back the curtain too much, but it isn't actually the white house behind me. that is super imposed on a

screen and behind that is the window to my apartment and you probably can't hear, but i'm hearing some thunder. so hopefully i'll be able to stay on the air, as well. maria teresa kumar, interesting to hear steve talk about kamala harris now being part of a team. and she's someone who did drop out before the first votes were cast. did not have a great campaign, certainly not what was anticipated. and even before the decision was announced, the vice president was naming the people who would be helping whoever his vice presidential nominee, his running mate will be. from a political standpoint, bringing in people that were familiar to him from obama world, from biden world. was that a smart move? >> i think so, because it allows him to make a connective tissue and remind people that he has already done -- he's already been at the white house. and it also lays the foundation for kamala to have the necessary network that she's going to need

when she becomes vice president. but i also think that it also provides an opportunity for us to have a real discussion of what joe biden was able to do by naming so many diverse women into this, as a vice presidential nominee. and that is to make sure that every single woman was able to stand on her own merits. and for women of color, black women, latino women, that oftentimes, we fall into these stereotypes and these tropes. he was able to make sure that the media scrutinized each one as an individual. and that goes in changing history in itself. >> nbc news andrea mitchell, a veteran of many presidential campaigns joins us now from inside the school, inside the room. she is on the phone, certainly not like any campaign kickoff that you and i have ever seen, but what can you see that we can't see? we've been mostly staring at the american flag with occasional a view of some circles on the floor and reporters sitting on chairs. but give us a little sense of

what you're seeing, what the mood is, what you're hearing there, andrea? >> reporter: and i am one of those reporters sitting in a circle on what looks like a basketball court at the dupont school.been waiting here for a couple of hours. there was a huge thunderstorm that went through before we came inside, and our temperatures were checked and standard procedures with the secret service in charge, because joe biden has that protection. you know, he is the presumptive nominee. and that's a procedure that is signed off on actually by the president in most instances. in any case, we expect them to come in. we understand they are both here. they have been pat joe biden's house in wilmington much of the afternoon. so this was a really good chance for the two of them to be in the same place. so we understand all of their meetings are very safe and socially distanced. they have been absolutely rigid

about that. and with the press, and you can imagine, with the candidate himself and anyone around him, staff as well. top staff members are here, as well as the newly anointed vice presidential candidate's top staff, including some veterans, biden's staff members and obama staff members, as well as some who had recently been in advocacy groups. so there's a really interesting, diverse mix of people who will be staffing the new vice president. so we've got a lot of american flags and the flags here for the various victories of this particular dupont school and their academic endeavors, lots of flags and pennants to indicate that is a very successful team, lots of sportsmanship awards and cross-country, basketball, all kinds of things, athletic awards, but this is political olympics. and this is kind of the summer olympics for politics right now, with a virtual convention and

reporters waiting. we don't think they'll take questions in this space. if they did take question, it would be very hard to get their attention, because we're all so far apart. a couple of cameras here, some from the campaign, selecting footage for video. they dropped one video this morning that they introduced with the rollout. his invitation to her and her video chat, her saying, yes, i will. i want to work, i'm ready to do it. and i am so ready, said she. and that was mostly a biography of the most extraordinary running mate, given that she is the first woman of color to running on a major party ticket and now, of course, if elected, would be really positioned, whether or not they are elected, she is really positioned ahead of the generational change that we are now seeing in front of our eyes in the democratic party. he is 77. she is 55. and we know her background in which she's been talking about

the importance of her mother, her immigrant background, her indian heritage, as well, on her mother's side. just a really interesting personal story. and we expect that they'll talk about their shared values, their teamwork. how they believe in the same goals. each will make a statement and again, we hope they'll take some questions. wait and see. so it should be happening soon. >> i'm just looking, andrea, at -- i'm just looking at twitter and kamala harris' husband, douglas emhoff has tweeted a picture of joe biden in that gym, obviously, earlier in a blue suit and a blue tie and a mask. we are expecting them come out, again, any moment now. we already saw the mics being checked. but andrea, while i still have you and to use a poor basketball analogy, in your conversations with the campaigns, what -- and we can see them wiping down -- this is a message coming from

this campaign very consistently to be very careful. they have been very careful. they have put out a message that is about wearing masks, that is about being very aware of all of these kinds of procedures, washing your hands, and in that case, obviously, a disinfectant wife -- a disinfectant wipe that is being used on the podium. but andrea, what do they hope, reasonably, to accomplish here today. what would be an essentially three-point shot from half court that goes through with nothing but net in terms of the politics of this? >> i think seeing them together, seeing them interact, seeing the chemistry, the personal chemistry. biden said he wanted somebody who would be a governing party. she's twice won statewide office in california. she's easily the most experienced campaigner in the finalists, having run in a

presidential campaign with a really extraordinary kickoff in oakland last year. and then it kind of fizzled out and she bobowed out gracefully march 9th and that was his last in-person rally. and they have been signaling that they are taking it very seriously. to the ridicule of the president. to the ridicule of the president who was deriding him for being, quote, in his basement, wearing a mask. but i think time will tell and the campaign is betting on this, that it makes sense from a public safety perspective and that it's actually good politics. that good politics with people who are suffering not only from the pandemic, but from the economic fallout of a start and stop economy. as you've been doing sbroous and i have been doing interviews, there are expert doctors, whom we have on our network and other networks who say, if you lock down or a partial lockdown and

wore masks and socially zands and closed bar and in-person dining in the states that are still permitting that, recreational pictures we've seen from all parts of the country, people on beaches and in private homes, hundreds of people gathered together, to saying nothing of sturgis, south dakota, you know, the recent rally, the motorcycle rally. all of that is really deriding what the public health experts say is the best advice for getting this over in the next six weeks and getting the economy going again. but so far the administration is certainly not heeding that message. but the biden campaign thinks in the long run, this very careful, conservative approach to the pandemic is going to pay off for them. and it's smart science, it's good public health, and they think it's good politics. >> steve schmidt, i don't want to get away too much from the

historic nature of what we're about to see, the first black woman, the first asian american woman on a national political ticket. the first vice president ever, john adams, famously said, the job was the most insignificant office that man had ever contrived. i'm probably mangling that, but that's the gist of what he had to say. and there was a feeling for a long time that most vice presidential picks didn't make a difference. you could certainly say that joe biden was not insignificant in the white house of barack obama. but in terms of the importance of picks, could this be different? what is the significance, both to this campaign and to the future of the democratic party of the selection of kamala harris? >> well, it wasn't until walter mondale was vice president that the vice president even had an office in the west wing of the

white house. and vice president mondale really made the modern vpice presidency. and each successive vice president has had a more and more powerful role in their white houses. and joe biden waspresident, as was dick cheney, as was al gore. they become governing partners for the president. the person that the president oftentimes has turned to. certainly better than an in-law. the relationship is one that tends to grow over time. ronald reagan and george herbert walker bush had a lot of 'em anity between the two of them, but they became very close friends and came to admire each other very much during their working partnership. joe biden is 77 years old, he'll be the oldest president ever inaugurated should he win the election. and so, to some degree, this is an anointment of kamala harris. is that she is the person not

named joe biden most likely to be the next democratic president after joe biden. and so that is significant. we have seen the generational turn, at long last, that joe biden will be the last baby boomer on a national ticket inside the democratic party. it's unusual that he would have been in the first place, but because of the circumstance and the national crisis of donald trump, joe biden is the -- is the presidential candidate, but it's a very significant pick. and it also is historic in that it is the first democrat who has ever been nominated west of the rocky mountains, to be on a national ticket. and so, this shows the strength of california as a democrat iic bastion.

california was the place that delivered for republican presidents. but the west of the united states has become democratic territory and the democratic party has become much more the nation's northern and western parties. the juxtaposition of what it used to be. and so it's a historic pick. it is a pick that will certainly give mike pence worry, as you move into the fall debates. and it's a pick where you have somebody who has every ability to be a national figure in her own right, as well as a strong governing partner for the vice president when he's inaugurated. >> maria teresa kumar, they may come out any moment now, but for women of color, a record number of them running for office now in 2020, a record number who ran in 2018, black women, latinas, all -- all shapes and sizes of

women, young women, older women, who thought that, what we're going to see now in kamala harris was close to them. what is this? what is this image that we're going to see in terms of what it means to seeing those doors potentially open? >> i like to look at it through the lens of what my daughter, who is 8 years old, when she heard that the vice president had picked kamala harris, she, her eyes got big, chris, and say, my goodness, she's south asian and jamaican, that means anything is possible for a woman. and this is my daughter, who is 8 years old. and in a time of turmoil under donald trump, who we know has a result increased bullying in the schoolyard because kids are different, this sends a completely different message of what is possible. the press was trying to tell kamala harris she was too ambitious and now my daughter

can espouse that ambition is a positive trait to get to the highest echelons, to do good. it's such a contrast because it recognizes that our country is so diverse. we have 135 million people of color in the united states. 40% of our country's population. and we oftentimes talk about it as if we were small. this speaks to our possibility. my children represent the first majority minority population in this country. and what a beautiful vision! what a beautiful vision! >> kamala harris, 55 years old, child of immigrants. and the former vice president, now the presumptive nominee. let's listen. >> we're keeping our social distancing and playing by the rules. good afternoon, everyone. to me and to kamala, this is an exciting day. it's a great day for our

campaign and it's a great day for america, in my view. over the past several weeks, i've had the incredible privilege of meeting and spending a good deal of time with a group of talented women leaders, all of whom are qualified to be president. with each one, the more i learned about them, the more i talked to them, the more impressed i was, even though i knew them before. i want to thank each and every one of them for being part of this process and i look forward to working with them as we rebuild this country, to get elected and once we are elected, god willing. i approached this with a seriousness of purpose and of mind, because this is a serious moment for our nation. we're at one of those inflection points, you've heard me say that before, in our history. a life-changing election for this nation. and the choice -- the choice we make this november is going to decide the future of america for a very, very long time. and i had a great choice, great

opportunities. i had a great choice, but i have no doubt that i picked the right person to join me as the next vice president of the united states of america. and that's senator kamala harris. you know, it seems americans all across this nation, at least at the outset here, agree with me. yesterday, we had our best grassroots fund-raising day of the campaign, more than double our previous record. and in doing so, we set a single-day record for online political fund-raising. and i think i know why. so, i hope -- i hope that you'll join us, as well, those of you who listen today. go to joebiden.com today p, $5, $10, whatever. ch the kamala, as you all know, is smart, she's tough, she's experienced, she's a proven fighter for the backbone of this

country. the middle class. for all those who are struggling to get into the middle class. kamala knows how to govern. she knows how to make the hard calls. she's ready to do this job on day one. and we're both ready to get to work rebuilding this nation and building it better. as attorney general of the largest state in the country, kamala took on the big banks over mortgage fraud and won. took on big oil when it wanted to pollute without consequences. she was a pioneer in marriage equality and tackled the gun lobby. you know, we've all matched her in the united states senate go toe to toe with trump officials, trying to hide the truth, asking the tough questions needed to be asked and not stopping until she got an answer. and when none was forthcoming, it was obvious what the answer was. as a member of the intelligence committee and the judiciary

committee, she's been the center -- in the middle of the most critical national security challenges our country faces. well aware -- well aware of all the threats to this nation and ready to respond to them. as a child of immigrants, she knows personally how immigrant families enrich our country, as well as the challenges of what it means to grow up black and indian-american in the united states of america. her story's america's story. different from mine in many particulars, but also not so different in the essentials. she's worked hard. she's never backed down from a challenge. and she has earned each and every of the accolades and achievements that she has gained. many of them often in the face of obstacles that others put in her way. but never quit. and this morning, all across the

nation, little girls woke up, especially little black and brown girls, who so often feel overlooked and undervalued in their communities, but today -- today, just maybe, they're seeing themselves for the first time in a new way. as the stuff of president and vice presidents. in her campaign in the primary, kamala often talked about what she referred to as the 3:00 a.m. agenda. about moms and dads awake late at night in their kitchens, worried, scared, uncertain about how they were going to take care of their families. about how they were going to pay the bills. about how they were going to make it, simply make it. growing up in scranton and claymont, delaware, i saw that struggle, as well. kamala saw it with hers, as well.

and millions of americans are living that struggle, as we speak. especially in this moment of crisis. especially with so many jobs lost. kamala and i both know that all folks are looking for, as my dad would say, is an even shot. just give me a shot, a fair shot. a shot at making it. and it will be the work of all our administration to make sure they get a fair shot. working families need someone on their side in this nation. because they certainly don't have anyone in the president now on their side. ask that's going to change in a biden/harris administration. it's going to be gratifying to see the strong, enthusiastic reaction to senator harris as our next vice president. you know, it comes from people all over the country, it's already occurring