candidate in georgia who won and said she ran a great campaign. so once again, he's decided he's not going to knock down that conspiracy theory, chuck. >> many people believe qanon is a virus inside the republican party, and the president clearly not wanting to do anything to mitigate that virus. carol lee, dr. roy, and leigh ann caldwell, thank you for helping us explain and break down what the president may have meant with his remarks. and that wraps up the hour for me. i'll see you back here tonight at 5:00 p.m. eastern for "meet the press daily." my colleague, chris jansing picks up the coverage right now. >> thank you so much, chuck. you know, is there a day that's not breaking news anymore? it's 11:00 a.m. out west, 2:00 p.m. in the east, for the first time since she was chosen as joe biden's running mate, senator kamala harris is giving an interview. and it's with msnbc contributor errin haines. we're going to bring that to you as soon as it's done. we expect it within this hour. harris has only been on the job, of course, for three days, and

already, she has faced a barrage of attacks from the president and his allies. from blatantly baseless birtherism claims to racist, sexist name calling. she's likely to address those attacks as well as concerns about the pandemic and the integrity of november's election. but trump was just asked about those attacks. >> she treated joe biden -- she treated joe biden worse than anybody else. i watched those debates. they were very boring, but they were debates, nevertheless. and i watched, you know, pretty good parts of them. and she treated biden worse than anybody else by far. there was nobody, including pocahontas, nobody treated biden so badly as kamala. >> let me ask you this then. do you have an issue with a strong woman of color being in this presidential race? >> none whatsoever. >> okay, we're going to talk

about that, and there are certainly a lot of new and serious questions as well about president trump's attempts to undermine that integrity of the elections. falsely claiming millions of fraudulent ballots will be cast by mail. and in just the past 24 hours, we have reports that mail sorting machines that would process ballots are being moved out of postal facilities around the country. postal delays are already creeping into states from pennsylvania to michigan. and nbc has confirmed in spite of the president's most recent attacks on mail-in voting, he and the first lady have applies for absentee ballots for the upcoming florida primary. joining me as we wait to get to that interview with senator harris, carol lee, nbc news correspondent covering the biden campaign, mike memoli, president and ceo of the center for american progress, narra tanden, previously served as senior adviser to president obama and hillary clinton, and also with us, republican strategist and

msnbc political analyst susan del percio. i'm so glad to have all of you here. mike, look, political junkies, probably most of them watching this program right now, they know kamala harris from her own brief presidential run, maybe from her tough questioning as a member of the judiciary committee, or simply as a high profile member of the senate, but this is arguably different. she's on an another level of scrutiny. she's representing the campaign now. she's representing joe biden, and what their vision is for america. what do you expect we'll see here in this first sitdown interview? >> well, chris, we're now in the fourth day of the biden/harris campaign. starting on tuesday, of course, with the tweets, the texts, the emails about joe biden's choice. on wednesday, that first joint appearance where we heard from both of them, beginning to lay out the themes of a biden/harris tick frt the fall campaign. we saw them yesterday speaking on what has been the central issue for the biden campaign at this point, the pandemic, the president's handling of it, and what they would do in the white

house should they take over to try to deal with this crisis in this country, and today, getting some of the formalities out of the way. signing the paperwork to get themselves formally nominated on the ticket. this has been a largely successful but, chris, a very carefully controlled rollout so far, and that's why this interview is going to be such a very, very interesting moment. the first time we'll have a chance to hear her weigh in on the selection, what this vetting process was like. the moments in the campaign that made a lot of people wonder whether joe biden would pick her on the ticket, whether the questions of her ambition are a potential road block to a successful partnership in the white house, and of course, we want to hear her reaction to these racist attacks that we're seeing come from the white house, come from the president's allies about whether she's even constitutionally eligible, something that obviously she is as somebody who was born in this country. this is going to be a fascinating moment. also to get a glimpse into what she views as her role in a biden administration. we know the biden campaign has been showcasing that early

chemistry. we also understand they have had a private lunch, the two of them, along with valerie biden owens, biden's sister, yesterday, and so how does she see the role playing out? a lot of questions we're ear eager to hear her answers to. >> on the other side of this, carol, the president has been tweeting almost no one he believes has done more for women than he has. he wants to build a statue in washington, d.c., even as we just heard him refer to her as mean in the way that she treated joe biden, she tweeted he was acting like a mad woman, she asked angry. does no one in the white house see a disconnect there? >> they do, chris, and there are people around the president who would really like him to not only stay away from personal attacks against senator harris but just disregard her altogether and focus on former vice president joe biden. that's who they think the president needs to train his attacks on. that's who they would like the focus to be on. they agree and have said a

number of them privately that harris was a pick that was energizing and that it's not -- for democrats, and it's not something they're inclined to try to highlight, but the president keeps raising senator harris and launching various attacks on her. when it comes to women, the president has a problem with women voters. he knows that. his advisers know that. and so we have seen him try to appeal to women voters in various ways. some of them really backfiring, including saying that, describing them as the suburban housewife. that's not something people around the president necessarily think is a good idea, that women find that offensive. women also just don't like these personal attacks he's been launching against kamala harris, and that's why his advisers would really like him to stop, but the president so far has not shown any inclination to really scale back on those attacks, chris. >> so nera, do you simply say about these attacks more of the same, it's to be expected, let's talk about substantive issues like coronavirus and mail-in

balloting? or do they need to be called out or from a political perspective, do you look at these and say, let him keep doing it because women voters are leaving him? >> i guess my take would be that the president is looking at a seismic gender gap. there's been gender gap for a while, but he's creating a seismic gender gap. reflected in 2018 and we see it in every single poll. so i think he's the reason for that gender gap, because it's not just his attacks on kamala harris. it's his four years in doing this, and women remember. so i think it's completely counterproductive for him, but it is energizing for democrats to see this, and i think it makes women want to honestly, many women, walk over glass to vote against him. so i think we should call it out. we can't just act like it's not

happening. women have to recognize this is happening. push back against it, the campaign has to push back against it, but it is -- it is a curious strategy, and one i know kamala harris will be excellent at responding to. >> so i don't think there's any question that this is just the start. and not all of these kinds of critiques or attacks are going to come from the president. we already heard them comingcom some of his most high profile women supporters. they sat down recently, they used some of the same kind of language against kamala harris. but at the same time, they want to paint trump, not kamala harris, as someone who will fight for women. how do you think that's going to play, susan? >> not very well, chris. trump, as nera pointed out, he's lost women. we have always faced -- there's always been a gender gap within the party.

but now, donald trump has just turned them away so much. and when you're looking towards a selection, the sliver we're really looking at are moderate republican women and right of center independents who have had enough with donald trump. and it's not just the way he treats and speaks of senator harris, which is embarrassing and disgraceful. he has nowhere else to go. what is he going to do, talk about his handling of the coronavirus? that's been a disaster. so he can try and find different outlets, but he keeps turning away the voters he needs the most. so some of his relatives can say nice things about him, and that's great, or some of the people he's paying to say nice things about him. but people aren't buying it, women aren't buying it. >> so nera, you were around hillary clinton when she faced a similar barrage of sexism. what did you learn about how to handle it? one of the things i always know

about politicians and other people who are in the public eye, the reason it tends to weigh on them often is because of the impact it has on their families. they may be able to handle it. you know, they have been in the business a long time. so i'm curious as we wait to hear from kamala harris what messaging would you hope from her about these attacks? and what would you expect to hear from her? >> i think it's vital that these attacks are called out. it's not about kamala harris and her feelings. it's how women are treated in our society. it's how the president of the united states talks about women in general. that is what is angering women. that's what is making women -- what made women come out in historic numbers in the midterms, and i expect they will come out in historic numbers in the general election. not about hillary or kamala harris or any woman in particular. it's how he treats twimtwime ew

overall. a lesson that was learned in 2016 and previous eras is when you see sexism or misogynist tropes like ambitious women being a problem, you need to call that out. we need to show people that it's not how men are treated, and i think when we do that, people can see it. and recognize that it's something that is in the rear view mirror. >> so mike, let's talk about a couple of what i think will be some of the topics she may get asked about. vote by mail, what the president has done, some of the actions he is taking. some of the things he's proposing. this new report that they're pulling machines out of postal sorting facilities, all of that rolled up. she had some pretty specific and tough things to say when she gave her speech on wednesday. but how much is that a point of conversation within the campaign, even at this early stage of them being together? what are you hearing?

>> well, i would point to what we heard from the former vice president on this question just yesterday when asked about the attacks on the postal system itself. he said that this is pure trump. that he doesn't want an election, period. we saw just today in fact that the postal service union endorsing the biden/harris ticket, believing that the postal service itself is at stake, and it's going to be a really important moment. one of the important factors the biden campaign has been working on for months now is what we call voter protection. making sure that everyone who wants to be able to vote for them this fall will have not just the option to do so by mail but also in person. i spoke with those involved in the voter protection operation in the biden campaign, and they want to give all the voters across the country the ability to vote by mail if possible, but they also are working hard with state and local officials to insure that they have access to in-person voting where possible. there are certain constituencies, they say, that are much more likely to benefit from in-person voting who want

the ability to have that option, and so they want to make sure those options are on the table. and senator harris is going to have an opportunity to weigh in on this. it's important to note, senator harris' background, she's on the intelligence committee, on the judiciary committee, and on the homeland security committee. she brings a number of important perspectives to this conversation as somebody in the senate, yes, for only the last three plus years, but these are issues that several of her committees have been dealing with very specifically, and i'm sure the campaign is hoping they'll have a chance to showcase now. >> and another big topic i think we'll probably hear from harris about is the lack of action on coronavirus relief. carol, the president once again trying to blame democrats. he tweeted that he has directed steve mnuchin to get ready to send $3400 direct payments to families, democrats, he says, are holding this up. it's something we just heard from him at that press briefing, that he's ready to have the treasury and small business administration send additional ppp payments to small businesses

that have been hurt by what he calls, again, in his tweet, the china virus, blaming the democrats. let's talk a little bit about where they think they are in terms of both the white house, their action, and of course in the context of the campaign, given how joe biden has been very, very willing to draw a line in the sand, including on masks, calling for a national mask mandate, essentially. >> right. and the president was very critical of that, saying essentially that the former vice president was being political on the issue, and as we know, the mask controversy over whether or not to wear a mask was largely fueled by the president's early resistance to wearing masks. when it comes to a relief package, the president repeated those lines in his news conference where he said he had directed the treasury -- the secretary of the treasury to be ready to issue these payments of $3400. he said he was ready to send

money for school, to help schools reopen, and among other things. and all of that language was very active, chris, but really, he wasn't doing anything. he was saying that they're ready to do that if democrats will come to the table and talk. what that underscores is the concern, rising concern, that the president really needs to look like he's doing something here while millions of americans still don't have economic relief that he has promised. so you heard him outline a number of things that he's willing to do. but the two sides are very far apart, and it's hard to see how they come together and reach an agreement any time soon given what the differences are. so the president saying all that today and sounding like he's doing something doesn't necessarily mean he is going to do something or americans are going to see those checks anytime soon, chris. >> carol lee, mike memoli, neera tanden, susan del percio, great conversation, as we wait to hear that interview, thank you very much. >> still ahead, the u.s. postal

service issuing a warning to pennsylvania voters. why they're saying some mail ballots won't be delivered in time to be counted on november 3rd. 3rd. wayfair, you spend less and get way more. so you can bring your vision to life and save in more ways than one. for small prices, you can build big dreams. spend less, get way more. shop everything home at wayfair today.

the postal service is out with a pretty dire warning for one of the nation's crucial swing states ahead of the election. your vote might not count. facing what some critics say amounts to sabotage from the trump administration, the usps now says the deadline is simply too tight for some pennsylvania mail-in ballots to be delivered in time. and is sending similar warnings to voters in michigan. both states that trump won in 2016, but where joe biden is now leading in the polls. nbc news has also learned of warnings for north carolina, maine, and minnesota. and in the midst of all this, team trump has been fund-raising, getting money for a legal fund for, as one letter put it, the fight against fraud before, during, and after

election day. the battle is already under way. the trump administration is suing pennsylvania over its vote by mail plan, and the judge in that case just ordered them to provide evidence of voter fraud, something we have yet to see. the u.s. supreme court just blocked an attempt by rhode island republicans to stop mail-in voting in that state. in mississippi, the aclu is suing to allow voters to use fear of covid as a reason to vote absentee. in tennessee, access to voting during a pandemic is also at the heart of an ongoing battle, and in nevada, the trump campaign is suing to stop universal voting by mail. mark is president of the american postal workers union, and he joins me now. good to see you. >> thank you so much for having me. >> we're so glad to have you. when you hear things like a state as big and as important to the democratic process as pennsylvania, they may not be

able to get done what needs to get done. obviously, we're going to see numbers in voting by mail that will dwarf anything we have seen previously, even though vote by mail is certainly nothing new. what goes through your mind and what can you tell us based on your experience? >> well, if we look at the overall experience, vote by mail works great. it's nothing new for postal workers. it's nothing new for the postal service. we have been doing it for generations with our military personnel. it goes back to the civil war. and it's ever more popular amongst the voters in the last pril presidential election. 1 out of 4 voters often choosing to vote by mail. in five states, they had to vote by mail. it's tried and tested. it's private. it's secure. there's virtually no fraud. and postal workers, we represent the entire political spectrum, but we're united that we're not moving ballots because we're beholden to a candidate or a political party. we're beholden to the american people to have access to the

ballot box. and obviously, as you pointed out, in this pandemic, more and more people are going to have to use vote by mail in order to be able to vote at all. so anything we hear that somehow it's not going to be done right or it can't be done is troubling to us. and we're still analyzing what was put out to pennsylvania in our own ranks. we haven't had much time to look at it all. but the state's run elections. the post office doesn't, and pennsylvania has ways to deal with this, i think. they could have postmarks as the ballot counting. they can mail a few days in advance, but the post office also has to do their part. speed up the mail, make sure that people are getting the prompt service, and this new post master general has put in some policies that are slowing down the mail, and that's very concerning to us. we made our voices clear, the postal workers. we're dedicated to the people of the country. everybody sees that in this

pandemic. >> let me ask you about one thing specifically. according to vice news, the united states postal service is removing mail sorting machines from facilities around the country without any official explanation or reason given. in many cases, these are the same machines that would be tasked with sorting ballots. now, the postal service put out a statement saying that it routinely moves equipment around its network as necessary to match changing mail and package volumes. but is that what's going on here? because at individual sorting facilities from iowa to buffalo, folks have been interviewed who say they have never seen moving around quite like this. >> well, i'm sure those on the front lines are sharing what they see and what's actually happening. and again, it is concerning to us because we're in a covid world. letter volume is lower for the moment, but that doesn't mean that mail sorting equipment should be removed permanently. maybe even more concerning are

policies that are just arbitrarily reducing hours of work, even though the work is still there. changing the amount of trucks that carry mail to its destination and to get sorted, and to get carried by the letter carriers to your homes or businesses. and those policies we know, because we hear it from all over the country, from both customers and from postal workers, that those policies are clearly slowing down mail. >> let me ask you finally about money, because there is obviously a coronavirus bill that is stalled, but there's been a lot of conversation about money for usps to help make sure that whatever numbers come in, however many millions of ballots are ultimately cast by mail, that the postal service and the postal workers have what they need to get this done. how much money do you think is needed? and is money needed? >> yes, money is definitely needed. look, no one doubts, because

we're all feeling it. in particular, the 45 million unemployed. the economic impact of the covid pandemic on all of us. and it's deeply affecting the postal service. the postal service does not run on tax dollars normally. it runs on the revenue from postage and postage products, and mail volume has fallen off drastically due to covid. packages are temporarily up, but that's not going to last. the postal board of governors has estimated a $50 billion loss of revenue over the next ten years just due to covid. so what congress needs to do, and they should have done it in march, but what they have a new opportunity to do now, because in march, the private sector got $500 billion. and the post office did not get a dime. there needs to be temporary emergency relief of $25 billion at a minimum. that's what passed the house of representatives. it's now being discussed in the senate. there is a stand-alone bill for that as well. and that would go a long way to

alleviate any of the concerns about everything we do. whether it's getting life-saving medicines to people's homes, pension checks, retirement checks, sentence information, greeting cards, birthday cards, and of course, ballots. that would take a lot of financial pressure off of the post office, so we really do need congress to act. and i want to say there's tremendous bipartisan support in congress. and even more so there's tremendous bipartisan support back home. 91% of the people of this country have a favorable view of the postal service. that's according to the pew research. this is not a partisan issue back home. it doesn't matter if we're rural america, urban america, if we're left or right or anywhere in between. people really support and trust the postal service. we all use it in different ways. and in this moment, the postal service is really the public postal service and strengthening it is really key to the access to the ballot box. unfortunately, the president said two days ago and let the cat out of the bag, he wants to starve the postal service, that

people of the country love and need, in order to suppress the vote by mail access to the ballot box or at least scare people away from using it. and that's just shameful and dead wrong, and we think on both sides of the aisle that approach is going to be rejected and should be. >> and the only delivery service that is required to deliver everywhere all across the country, even the most rural of places. mark, thank you so much. we appreciate you taking the time. >> i now want to bring in nbc news correspondent geoff bennett because you have been looking into what's going on in pennsylvania. some of the concerns there. what can you tell us? >> yeah, and chris, look, it's not just pennsylvania. it's not just michigan. those two key battleground states that have received the warnings from the postal service. our reporting now indicates that election officials in maine, in north carolina, minnesota, arizona, california, and texas have all been warned that their

deadlines really are too tight for voter in those states to request ballots, mail them in, and have them processed. the deadlines are too tight given the delays you and the previous guest just talked about. the postal service says it has the capacity, it has the volume to handle the expected surge in mail-in ballots. that's a different issue, though, than the delays that have been caused by the new policies, the new budget cuts put in place by the new post master general. in most places that has led to a two to three-day delay in first clasmail, in pennsylvania and philadelphia, there are reports of a week-long delay in first-class mail. so the way around this election officials are telling people is to request your ballots early, if you're going to vote by mail, and as soon as you know who you're going to vote for, send it back. do not wait. >> all right, geoff. what are you hearing from pennsylvania or any of these

states about what they feel like they can do? we just heard it from the head of the postal workers union, you know, look, they process it, but ultimately, ballots and counts are in the state's purview. what are you hearing about that? >> pennsylvania election officials are expecting -- pennsylvania election officials are expecting a 50% increase in mail-in voting this year. largely due to the pandemic. and so what they have done, what they're trying to do is allow for a three-day delay. so say you submit your ballot. it's postmarked on election day. if it arrives three days later, they would still count that. and as you mentioned, the trump campaign is signaling that they plan to contest it. so pennsylvania, an election battleground state, is also a battleground state for election litigation, especially if this vote is close, and especially if it's heavily reliant on mail-in balloting, chris.

>> i think that's almost certain that it's going to be reliant on mail-in balloting. geoff bennett, thank you so much. after the break, testing shortages in states hit hard by coronavirus. raising new questions about the accuracy of america's covid data. is our outlook truly improving or are more cases just going undiagnosed? the first and only full prescription strength non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gel available over-the-counter. new voltaren is powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel. voltaren. the joy of movement. all the way out here just for a blurry photo of me. new voltaren is powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel. oh, that's a good one. wait, what's that? that's just the low-battery warning. oh, alright. now it's all, "check out my rv," and, "let's go four-wheeling." maybe there's a little part of me that wanted to be seen. well, progressive helps people save when they bundle their home with their outdoor vehicles. so they've got other things to do now, bigfoot. wait, what'd you just call me? bigfoot? ♪

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first interview since she was named as joe biden's running mate, but we can give you a preview that she talks about his audacity to choose a black woman to be his running mate. she talks about voter access and how the pandemic has exacerbated inequities, a lot to hear from her. and in the meantime, we are following the latest on the pandemic, and here are the facts as we know them this hour. >> new jersey says it will conduct its general election mostly by mail due to the pandemic. governor phil murphy saying today that the state will send ballots to voters but will also allow in-person voting for those who want it. >> a short time ago, through this video conference, a judge denied a request by the state of florida to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the florida education association. the teachers union is sueing the state over an executive order to force schools to reopen this fall. the union says it looks forward to seeing governor desantis when mediation begins on tuesday. >> and new questions today about testing.

there's been a 19% decline in cases of covid-19 reported over the last two weeks. of course, 19% down sounds like a good thing, but there's also been a decline in testing. 12% in the number of tests administered nationwide. and a cnbc study shows there's not a single state that can get results within two days. let's bring in former u.s. surgeon general dr. vivek murthy. always so good to see you. the white house coronavirus task force is now recommending a state-wide mask order and other restrictions in georgia to combat what they're describing as widespread and expanding spread of the coronavirus. what needs to happen in places like georgia, where we know there's a growing problem? and if they would actually follow task force recommendations, how quickly could those states potentially turn things around? >> well, thank you, chris. good to be with you today. you know, i'm very concerned about georgia and a number of other states which have seen

rising numbers of cases and an extremely high percentage of tests that are actually positive. just to give you a sense of how high, in georgia's test positivity rate is in excess of 10%. and we wants those well below 5%. despite this, the challenge we have in states like georgia is that they do not still have a state-wide mandate for wearing masks in public. and they are actually opening schools at a time when the markers in terms of number of cases and percentage of positive tests is still incredibly high. so concern is not only that georgia not taking the steps it needs to take to reduce the number of infections. it's actually starting to open up in ways that may make these trends worse. >> more than 1500 students and staff in seven states, including georgia, doctor, are quarantining right now after positive tests in schools that recently reopened. what are we doing wrong here? and what's the lesson in it for

schools about to reopen in the coming weeks? >> well, the simple lesson for reopening schools is that we've got to do this right. there are three major criterias that we have to make sure that we meet before we reopen schools. number one, we have to make sure that the amount of infection in the community is low, which means we have to have the percentage of positive tests well below 5%, and the overall prevalence of the infection in the community has to be low as well. the second thing is we have to make sure we're providing clear guidance and support to schools so they know what measures to take to keep students and staff safer. while we have guidelines from the cdc, there are still critical questions unanswered for schools like what do we do about testing and when someone tests positive? and finally, we need resources for schools to make all the changes we're asking them to make without the resources to do it is essentially asking teachers who already dip their hands in their pockets each day to use their own money to buy

chalk and paper and pencils for kids, it's asking them to do more and that's simply not fair or tenable. >> so we're waiting now to hear this first sitdown interview with kamala harris, and i know that you were in touch with both she and joe biden, i don't know, was it yesterday or earlier this week, talking about some of these issues. tell us what you can about what those kinds of conversations are like and what you feel, at least the commitment on their part is, and their knowledge is as we look at them as potential leaders in this fight. >> well, chris, vice president biden and senator harris understand clearly the gravity of the situation in front of us with this pandemic. they recognize not only is this a medical problem, but it's changed our way of life. it shut down schools. it shut down the economy. it's changed people's ability to even see their own family and friends. so they understand how fundamental it is to address early on. but they also know that there

has to be a science-based approach to how we do this. we have to combine smarts with execution, and that means lyoning to scientific experts and advisers. it means putting the right team together to actually execute on these goals because the path to reopening our schools, our economy, to reopening sports, to getting back to our way of life, goes through reducing infections in the community, and without taking the right measures, without adequate testing and contact tracing, it's going to be extremely hard to do that because we have seen the last few months. >> dr. vivek murthy, always great to have you on the program. thank you very much. again, coronavirus, the fight against coronavirus, one of the topics, as promised, in this first interview with senator kamala harris. it's a question and answer format. the first one since she was announced as joe biden's presidential pick. she spoke moments ago with msnbc contributor errin haines as part of a conference held by a nonprofit news agency, the 19th.

here's that conversation in its entirety. >> hello. i'm errin haines, editor at large for the 19th. and welcome to day five of the 19th represents. today, we're in conversation with somebody who you may have seen in the headlines a bit this week. senator kamala harris of california was announced tuesday as the 2020 democratic vice presidential nominee. a historic choice that ended months of speculation over which of the qualified, capable, and talented women joe biden would select as his running mate. senator harris, we're so excited that you could join us for your first extended conversation since joining the ticket. thanks so much for being here. >> i am so happy to be with you, errin, and on purpose, my first interview as a teammate and a running mate with joe biden is with the 19th. so thank you. good to be with you. >> well, thank you so much for stopping by. listen, i know so many of the people out here watching today

are wanting to hear directly from you about how we got to this moment. so let's talk about it. this veepstakes process, which must have been even more nerve-racking and high stakes for you than it was for all of us, and we're watching from the outside. i want to start by asking you how your name came up for this role? is this something you told joe biden you were interested in, or did he approach you? >> first of all, let me say i have been very honored through the process to be in the conversation among, to your point, so many incredibly talented women. and i have worked with almost all of them. we should be very proud that among the leaders of our nation, there are so many accomplished, brilliant, talented women. and to even be mentioned in that group was an honor, and of course, to be asked by joe biden to be his running mate is an incredible honor. and i will tell you, i'm so excited about joe's platform and him as a person.

and we're going to get this done. we're going to get it done. >> i mean, you mentioned those talented women, many of whom you worked with, some of whom you ran against last year. what was it like to be in competition with so many of the women you knew, worked with, and respected? did you talk to any of them during this process? did that add to the pressure and anxiety of this process at all for you? >> you know, i'll speak for myself, but i think i'm speaking for all of us. i don't think any of us thought of ourselves as being in competition with each other. many of us have worked together, sometimes for years. and it really was about -- and i know this to be true. a pride that we all had knowing that when we were running, for example, we weren't the only woman on that stage. that we were representing a picture about what the leadership of this country is and should be going forward. and in a way that is also inspiring of all the women who will come after us, who know that their righteous place on

that stage, so i don't think we ever really thought of it as a competition as much as really a collective sense of pride that we were all on that stage together. showing the diversity among who we are as women and really, i think, in many ways challenging folks who may not have ever imagined that to see what that looks like. and it was a real point of pride and joy for me to be with those women on that stage. >> well, i know we have talked before about your belief that there should have been a woman on the ticket, period, whether it was going to be in the number one or number two spot. certainly, you know, with joe biden declaring this spring that should he become the nominee, he was going to put a woman on the ticket was very exciting for the majority of the electorate women in this country, and you know, as that conversation continued, there was some talk about whether -- who that woman should be. should that be a woman of color,

and specifically a black woman. i want to ask you, did you feel that joe biden needed to choose a black woman or a woman of color as his running mate, and is that something you talked to him about at any point in this process? >> well, let's sit back and think about this. joe biden had the audacity to choose a black woman to be his running mate. how incredible is that, and what a statement that is about joe biden. that he decided that he was going to do that thing that was about breaking one of the most substantial barriers that has existed in our country. and that he made that decision with whatever risk that brings. i think as much as anything, it's a statement about the character of the man that we're going to elect as the next president of the united states. >> yeah, i mean, you talk about that as a risk. there are some people who have asked me, you know, if they thought joe biden was making the

safest choice by doing that. i certainly don't agree with the premise of that question, but i wonder what you think about the risk that that is, you know, that that is the choice that he made that he did choose you and he is making a historic choice. there's never been a black woman nominated for vice president on a major party ticket before. >> right. and so that is a statement, i think, about the vision that joe biden has about who we are as a nation and the future of our nation. and that's one of the things, frankly, about who he is that gives me such excitement about the biden/harris ticket. because the biden/harris ticket is about an agenda that is about representing who america really is and knowing that among us there may be those who seemingly have nothing in common but have everything in common. joe biden knows that. and it is also about saying that this is going to be an administration, the biden/harris administration, that is focused

on the future of our country. motivated by what can be unburdened by what has been. >> you talked about that, even during your presidential campaign. just to the idea of what this does for the american imagination, to see somebody that comes in a package like yours standing for this office. >> but errin, let me also say this. i am not unique. there are a lot of people like me. there are a lot of folks where i come from, i come from people. and that is part of the point. maybe it is for some to stimulate their imagination, but for others, what we know is that this is actually who we are. and what we are. and it is a statement that is an affirmation about who we truly are. and this, in the face of the current president of the united states, who has spent full time trying to sow hate and division in our country.

again, when we're looking at this election which is coming up in 80-something days, there's a clear contrast between the current occupant of the white house and that administration and the biden/harris ticket. and a lot of it has to do with not only about unity but it has to do about really knowing who the people of our country are. and being focused on them, and it being about them, and it being about working families, it being about child care, about making sure people have jobs, that they have health care. these are the things that really are what this ticket is about. focused on who the american people really are and what they really want. >> yeah. i want you to tell us, if you can, about your final interview with joe biden. >> okay. >> where was it, how long did it last? how would you describe it? i would think it would probably have been the hardest and most important job interview of your life. >> you know, it was a really wonderful conversation. joe and i, we share many

experiences, believe it or not, and values. we both care deeply about family. deeply. joe has, you know, has known suffering, and it is well known about the people he loved the most who he has lost. he and i have a shared experience in that way. we have talked about the importance of supporting the dignity of work and working people. including organized labor and collective bargaining. he and i both having gone through the health care system with people we love have talked about the need for making sure that nobody is denied health coverage, and that's such a big signature part of his plan as opposed to the current occupant of the white house who's got his lawyers in court right now trying to get rid of the affordable care act, which president obama and vice president biden brought health

care to tens of millions of people. and under trump, it might be taken away. these are the things he and i talked about. and it really is about being grounded in values that are a hope and vision and faith and commitment and hard work and it was an incredible conversation that we have continued to have. i'm here in delaware right now. doug, my husband and jill and joe, we have been spending time together, we've been talking about our families, our kids, and about the children of our country and it's really -- it's really excited. it's truly excited. >> i mean k you say when that final interview was with him? >> it was before it was announced. >> yeah, that's certainly -- well, i mean, you know, we've

talked about the dual pandemics of coronavirus and systemic racism that people have been royaling us for several months. it seems like the criteria changed so much in terms of what joe biden might need as campaigning and a governing partner should he win in november, i wonder if that changed what you thought the case of what you potentially brought to this ticket and this administration. >> well, you know, i mean, the biden/harris agenda is a shared agenda. for example, joe had a whole plan that was, you know, build back better plan about economy, but it includes understanding the connection between the creation of jobs and bringing dignity and support to working families. so for example, one of the parts of the build back better plan is

to bring health care and home health care to seniors and to people who need it but also make sure that care givers are being paid a liveable and a righteous wage in terms of getting benefits. in that plan, he adopted the domestic workers' bill of rights. and when we talk about domestic workers, we're talking about predominantly women of color who are spending hours upon hours night and day taking care of other people's children, other people's parents and grandparents and the biden/harris plan is about saying they, too, deserve dignity and support for the work that they do. as a shared commitment around addressing the climate crisis, and so there's whole plan about creating a million jobs in terms

of investing in infrastrk church for renewable energy but making sure communities of colors and our indigenous brothers and sisters are a part of the plan knowing that in america today, in communities that have some of the worst air quality, 70% of the people living there are people of color, so these are the components of the plan, the overall plan for building back better and it's shared commitment of paying attention to racial disparities, paying attention to gender disparities and what we need to grow back our country and aspire to the ideals that we have yet to meet but can move closer to. >> you mentioned your husband doug and your speech on wednesday, you were joined by doug, who they mentioned during the event, i remember seeing

doug quite a bit on the campaign trail. >> yes. >> i suspect we may hear from doug in the coming days as he introduces himself to the country taking on a historic himself as second man. >> isn't that something? >> in this general election campaign. >> i have to tell you, i married a man who is so supportive and encouraging of women, period. but so supportive. doug is -- he's comfortable being behind the scenes or being next to me or in front of me. he's comfortable -- he loves his family. he loves miss cooking. and he loves our country. you know, he and jill have an incredible relationship, you know they bonded actually when we were all running and i do --

i do believe that their relationship is a very special one that america is also going to witness. yeah. >> you know, also in your remarks on wednesday, you gave a nod to the heroic and ambitious women who came before you, you announced your candidacy for president you did so in the pioneering system -- as we prepare to make for the essenticentennial of women suff. >> until 1965. >> i'm just wondering about your thoughts about how this moment intersecretaries with your own historic candidacy. >> i'm glad you asked that. when i think about obviously the centennial and the importance of acknowledging the accomplishment but also how recent it is and

how much we still have to do to achieve equity when you look at issues pay equity something that joe biden talks about and we'll deal about in our administration. there's a lot to celebrate in terms of the accomplishment but should motivate us to be clear-eyed of the unfinished business as a proud of hbcu, i was looking at the photographers and listening to some of the stories as a reminder of the fact that, you know, howard and other hbcu women, but howard women, because howard is in d.c., demanding along with those suffragites the rights for women enfranchisement and the right to vote. beautiful photographs of howard women meeting with woodrow

wilson to demand that women have access to the polls. when i think about the essential central, let's be reminded about the ability of women at every stage to build coalition and to fight together but let's also acknowledge the disparities that still exist based on race and let's all work together as they did 100 years ago. >> my first story for the 19th was about you and your campaign last year and race and issues of race and gender. you obviously ran as the lone black woman in a crowded democratic presidential primary, i'm wondering, just to hear from you about how the role of race and gender, how you saw that play out in your campaign and how, you know, that experience, your qualifications and your

experience, how you bring thoselessons to the fight ahead in this general election and how you may govern going forward? >> yeah, i mean, your question and your point brings me back to the point about the courage and the commitment to joe biden has asked me to be his running mate, because to your point, you know i'm the only black woman in the united states senate, the only one, only the second in the history of the united states senate, so when we look, again, at how far we have to go, we have a lot of work to do and by joe asking me to be his running mate he has pushed forward something that might otherwise taken decades if you just track the progress that we've had so far and what it means is -- the significance of it is an understanding, what will be our

god willing our administration the need to be conscious about the disparities that exist and the active and affirmative acts that must take place to actually get closer to an ek question able to and fair society. i think that's something folks should really see in the significance of, again, this ticket, which is that this is a statement about the fact that we're not going to just wait for somebody to give us permission, we're not going to just wait for some broad consensus where everyone feels like, that's normal. i'm comfortable with it. sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone to get what is right, to move forward the issues that you addressed in the 19th amendment that are about women and women of color, so that we can get where we need to

go. >> yeah, yeah. if you become the first female vice president in the history of this country, what specifically can we expect you to fight for for the women of this country? >> everything. everything. i mean, listen, i said this back on that cold day in january, in 2017, at the women's march, which is every issue is a women's issue. and women's issues should be everyone's issues. so when i think about women's issues i think about -- in fact, errin, i've been the first woman to be elected to most of the positions i've had. they asked, tell us what's like to be the first woman, you know, fill in the blank? i'd look at them and say, you know, i'm