>> i saw him at beau's funeral. >> at beau's funeral. let's talk a little bit about the wall street journal today which reported he will announce his decision next month many are we any closer to a decision? >> i think the time line is what the time line is. he has a deliberative process he has to go through with his family. he has to understand the commitments -- he'll make up his mind when he makes up his mind. >> this was a sound bite from howard dean, obviously, former dnc chairman. we'll play that and get your reaction to it. >> i have a lot of respect for joe biden, he's been a terrific vice president. the problem is, joe biden is a very good guy, and probably has no appeal whatsoever, to people under 35. >> how do you respond to that? it's sharp criticism. >> i have the utmost respect for governor dean much i think what joe biden has done over the last 40 years is an incredible amount of work for all kinds of americans. i think what joe biden has to do over the next 4 to 6 weeks as we wait his announcement, remind people who joe b

and quickly realized it was beau. and then i shut my eyes and laid there. and that wasn't i don't even think a decision i consciously made. i waited until he was done. and he got up and he literally picked up a blanket, threw it on me, and then pulled up his pants and walked away. >> reporter: beau was convicted of raping allison and is currently in prison. the key to the conviction? a secret audiotape confession allison coaxed out of beau herself. >> you took complete advantage of me. >> i did. i did. i'm sorry. >> the only reason i felt comfortable is because i've known you since first grade. >> that's not me. you can't blame it on alcohol because it's not right. >> reporter: "nightline" anchor juju chang asked how important that audiotape had been. >> if you hadn't had two taped confessions how difficult do you think your case would have been? >> very difficult, my word against his. >> reporter: a situation some say the 16-year-old st. paul's girl is facing now. allison hughget says in spite of the audiotape and the criminal conviction of her attacker th

a top aide to beau biden who travelled extensively with beau and raised about $1.2 million in just six months before vice president's son was diagnosed with brain cancer is going to go and lead the fund-raising operations for. this the goal will is to try and set up a potential infrastructure if biden wants to do this. hillary clinton is pulling this together for essentially years now. and so i think the question is whether there is a lot of demand financially to support him at this stage. i think we might actually get a chance to see that now. >> all right. >> i think the question is and mark maybe you know. kacie reported on -- is reporting on friends that are setting this up. mike isikof reporting on super pac bundlers. we remember david geffin to speak out about hillary clinton. do you sense there are other democrats waiting in the wings to do what we're hearing this weekend? >> there are. but joe biden has never been a great fund-raiser. he never believed in super pacs. that's why they're anxious for him to run. they don't want a big money candidate in the white house. they don't

the entire country i think was devastated by beau's loss and obviously people close to him. >> thank going on here? >> you know, great question. we know that the vice president is seriously considering running for president, and i'm glad he's doing that. >> let me stop you that. why do you know that and how do you know that? >> it's been reported by "the wall street journal" and reported by you just a couple of minutes ago. >> the order is we went to draft biden and then we started hearing that. >> he had been -- obviously he had been considering this -- he ran in 1987, he ran in 2007. he's been thinking about this for a while. think back to the last six and a half years. he's been the president's closest advisor. he's been the last guy in the room for many, many decisions. for the last six and a half years he's been thinking about his day job, and i think what draft biden is doing is preparing the way for him should he decide to run. >> draft biden is an organization that was, i think fair to say, moribund in this sense. that without any kind of indications from the man at the cente

when beau biden died this summer, many americans got to see in joe biden what many delaware residents already had. >> i love joe biden. he's a man of the people. >> reporter: he is a straight talking, sometimes too straight talking guy who some say might finally win if he decides to once again run for president. >> i think he's an all around good guy. i don't mind that he speaks off the cuff. >> i find it refreshing. >> reporter: biden would be playing catch-up to hillary clinton. she's a fund-raising machine, getting in the race early got her lots of promises of support from people in high places. normal folks still have time to decide. >> i don't have the energy. i don't think he does energy. >> reporter: at 72, he thinks biden might be too old to be president. delaware senator tom carper is not so sure. >> people think he's honest he's real. he really cares about normal people. >> reporter: carper has been friends with joe biden and hillary clinton for a long time. he says controversies and distractions that hinder the clinton campaign open a window for biden but says it won't stay

the column contained direct quotes from beau biden.ealized he was not going to make it he asked his father if he had a minute to sit down and talk. of course, honey, the vice president replied. at the table, beau told his dad he was worried about him. my kid's dying, an anguished joe biden thought to himself, and he's making sure i'm okay. dad, i know you don't give a damn about money, beau told him, dismissing the idea that his dad would take some sort of cushy job after the vice president to cash in. beau was losing his nouns and the right side of his face was partially paralyzed, but he a mission. he tried to make his father prom toys run, arguing that the white house should not revert to the clintons and that the country would be better off with biden values. any close reading of it indicates that there's only one possible source for the two people in this conversation when the lines are in quotations marks. that reads like a direct conversation with joe biden about that very personal moment. >> it definitely does read that way. yo

and now one of the beau biden's close advisers is joining a grass roads movement. questions about clinton's candidacy hang over the -- a recent poll showed only 37% viewed clinton as honest and trustworthy while 57% did not. for biden it was the reverse 58% found him honest and trustworthy, 34% did not new hampshire mary carey followy is all bumming biden to run. >> hillary clinton does have a problem with truth in this country. i do believe when and if he decides to run, joe will add a new dimension to this race. >> biden has run for 79 dwight before. he's never ruled out a third time. if he did, the gaffs for four ma four decades would follow him. he told cnn's gloria borger last year, he would make his own decision. >> would you run if she runs? >> absolutely. that's not the reason not to run. the question is am i -- am i convince i am in the best position to lead the country? >> reporter: but clinton has a big head start. >> i believe when families are strong, america is strong. it's your time. >> reporter: the campaign says they under consumed by the biden buz

well before beau urged him to do so.s to whether he is wasting his time or not, he is going to consider this carefully. that's for him to determine. he knows a lot about the process. he is still going through a grieving process right you no. this is knots the easiest time for him in any respect. but i'm confident by the end of this month, or sometime in september he will be in a position to make a good decision. >> real quick van, i mean you talk about the fact that everyone loves jooi joe biden but they are not yearning for him to jump into the race. an important thing with these politician with running is do folks trust them. recent polls show americans not only like joe biden, they trust him, 58% in a recent poll that's to clinton's 37% in trust worthy. clinton continues to face a trust deficit with voters. doesn't that leave a real opening that you say doesn't exist? >> listen i think that -- listen this is not a democratic party that's only going to go based on trust and those factors. obviously people have some con

now beau might just be the inspiration for his father to take the another look. >> beau encouraged his father to run. he still said i think you should run. >> reporter: challenges may be significant. some key biden advisors are now working with clinton. she's captured big party donors and has a strong lead in polls among democrats. >> he shouldn't run. if he was going to run, he should have started a year ago to consolidate support. almost all the biden donors have gone to hillary clinton already. >> reporter: biden has been criticized for getting too up close and personal. he's run for president twice before and campaigns with stumbles and gaps. >> you cannot go to a 7 eleven or dunkin donuts unless you have a slight indian accent. i'm not joking. >> reporter: there still may be an opening. questions about clinton's e-mails and transparency eroded her trust. 51% unfavorable rating is high compared to biden's 39% and biden has been in this game a long time. >> joe biden was elected to the senate when he was 29 years old and he's been a rising star in the party since. this man is wanted

word that vice president joe biden, still mourning the death of his son beau just two months ago, is actively considering making a late entry into the democratic race to challenge hillary clinton, a challenge that beau biden strongly encouraged. andrea mitchell has late details. >> reporter: at his home in delaware today joe biden was out of sight. friends say taking care of his family, dealing with his own grief, and sources tell nbc news tonight still undecided about whether to take on the political fight of his life. the dying wish of his son beau. >> my hero, the next vice president of the united states, joe biden. >> reporter: a hope echoed by his surviving son, hunter. biden supporters telling nbc news he's long felt better qualified to be president than hillary clinton, with whom he clashed over the use of force in libya and afghanistan. and tonight in a new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll clinton is facing her worst numbers yet of this campaign. just 37% of those questioned view her positively. 48% see her negatively. a sharp 15-point swing since june. but the poll was ta

the new law named in honor of attorney general beau biden, who died in may. delaware bureau reporter tim furlong tells us how this law could make the state's children safer. >> i need you guys to start making your way to the blacktop. >> reporter: a busy afternoon at this camp. who doesn't love dance party day. the blue-shirted folks leading the nae-nae, they all went through checks and training before they could work for the y. >> pretty extensive. they asked all the right questions they need to ask when working with kids. >> if someone is flagged, we have to have that conversation with them and say you can't be a member at this ymca or i'm sorry, you can't be a volunteer at this ymca. >> reporter: with the governor's signature background requirement delaware will soon become even more thorough and required in more places where adults work with kids. bill 144 goes into effect in january. it will clean up, streamline and improve delaware's standard requirements and push smaller schools and private camps to get all employees and volunteers checked. the late at

one possible factor biden's late son beau who passed away in may from brain cancer at age 46 he was reportedly urging his father to run before he passed away. the vice president's press secretary, i spoke to her yesterday, she's playing down all this speculation. a lot of the phone calls she said are from friends and associates checking on biden to see how he's doing. she tells me quote, as the biden family continues to go through this difficult time the vice president is focused on his family and immersed in his work. just a little bit of a reality check, though, alex while we're talking about all of this. some of biden's key aides have started to work with help secretary clinton on her campaign. clinton has a lot of support from a lot of democrats. she's a very strong candidate right now. democratic sources say the reality is biden would likely only really seriously consider running if she were to stumble

beau biden died of brain cancer two months ago.u biden urged his father to run. here is what a friend of the vice president, who has known him for a long time told my colleague chris cuomo about a bid this morning. >> i sincerely believe that beau biden did have that discussion with his father and i -- maybe beau worried that his father after leaving the white house, would not find something challenging for him. he worried about his father maybe mourning him. and i know that beau and i and hunter and the entire family -- joe biden, my bucket list which is supposed to be more me. on my bucket list is joe biden being president of the united states. my passion for that is so strong. i can't write him a big check if he decides to run, but i'll match my passion for that money day. >> joining me now to discuss is cnn white house correspondent and cnn political reporter. thank you for being here. suzanne, several democrats telling us at cnn that biden has yet to rule out a campaign. may wait until after the month to decide. the spokeswoma

tonight, reports his late son's wish, beau biden's wish that he father would run. here is johnathan karl. >> reporter: if biden runs, it's quite a dilemma for the boss. just listen to how barack obama talks about him. >> the single best decision that i have made was selecting joe biden as my running mate. >> reporter: but hillary clinton was his loyal secretary of state. >> i think she would be an excellent president. >> reporter: the three of them, a team, all there at the biggest moment of all, in the situation room for the osama bin laden raid. but the team of rivals may soon just be rivals. aides to vice president biden say he plans to make a decision on running for president by the end of the summer. one big factor, biden's son beau, who died of brain cancer in may. >> my friend, my father, my hero. >> reporter: "new york times" columnist maureen dowd reporting that before his death, beau had a mission, he tried to make his father promise to run. while the latest polls still show hillary clinton with a commanding lead -- there could be an opening for biden, wh

national committee members, biden talked about the emotional toll the recent death of his elder son beau has taken on the family. according to cnn he has given a lot of thought to family issues as he considers moving foofrmtd

how did beau look at all of this? >> there's no doubt in my mind, jon, that beau wanted to see his dad as president. >> reporter: hillary clinton is now relaxing in the hamptons, seen here in these exclusionve photos by "the daily mail." 46 but taking nothing for granted, she plans to interrupt her vacation, heading back out on the campaign trail later this week. >> and, jon, what more do we know about the timing of this decision and where biden's head is right now? >> reporter: several democrats close to biden told me it is more likely than not that he decides to run. he has not made a decision yet, george, but i am told he has already asked aides to put together budgets, to look at what it would cost to launch a campaign. as for the timing of that decision, i am told that biden has told friends that the absolute deadline, the last possible moment that he can make a decision is before the first democratic debate which is the middle of october. >> and doing all the due diligence before that. jon, thanks very much. >>>

his beau strongly encouraged biden to run before he died in may.e to biden said he has not made up his mind and waiting until september to decide. the spokesperson said the family is still grieving and the rumor of running is premature and inappropriate. he would face a task to catch up to hillary clinton who staffed up a significant field operation. the clinton campaign is not worrying a decision by biden. >> we will let him make his decision. however hard it is to secure the democratic nomination is however hard it is. we have no illusions. we never thought this would be easy. there are a lot of views in the democratic party. you know we will be prepared to handle whatever comes our way. >> a big move by the clinton campaign. overnight, the campaign rolled out the first set of television ads. $1 million buys in iowa and new hampshire. these will run for five weeks. one ad tells of her mother dorothy, who grew up in poverty and helped by a teacher. >> when she needed a champion someone was there. i think about all of the dorothys all over america

>> i know beau wanted his dad to be president. i know that he wanted that in 1988 and he wanted that in 2008. i think the biden family generally has had a firsthand -- had a firsthand view of what it takes to be president and the strains that puts on your family. i think the vice president is, you know, weighing that as part of his deliberative process. >> well, we hope you'll keep us up to date. >> sure will. >> the time is closing on us fast. josh, great to see you today. thanks for coming in. >> thanks for having me. >>> up next, our sunday group joins the conversation on hillary's e-mail scandal and what a joe biden run could mean for her presidential hopes. >>> plus donald trump is drawing record crowds. does he have staying power after all? >>> here's a simple question. who would you rather have negotiating with china, japan, mexico, any of them? trump or bush? >> hmm, donald trump speaking to tens of thousands of supporters in mobile, alabama, this week, the largest gathering we think so far of the presidential campaign. it

the dying wish of his son beau. >> my hero the jexnext vice president of the united states joe biden. >> reporter: a hope echoed by his surviving son, hunter. >> reporter: biden supporters tell nbc news he's long felt better qualified to be president than hillary clinton, with whom he clashed over the use of force in libya and afghanistan. and tonight in a new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll clinton is facing her worst numbers yet of this campaign. just 37% of those questioned view her positively. 48% see her negatively. a sharp 15-point swing since june. but the poll was taken after inaccurate reports that she was the target of a potential criminal investigation. all untrue. supporters say a biden challenge could even help clinton. >> she was at her best in 2008 when she fell behind and then she came into ohio texas, pennsylvania and she was the underdog, and she rolled up her sleeves and let everyone know exactly what she believed in. >> reporter: to soften her image clinton will start airing gauzy tv ads in iowa and new hampshire tomorrow. >> and now a new title. grandma. >> re

biden's late son, beau who passed away in may from brain cancer at age 46. >> beau it actually encouragedrsations about this even when beau was sick he still said i think you should run. >> reporter: the vice president's press secretary downplayed the speculation writing, as the biden family continues to go through this difficult time the vice president is focused on his family, and immersed in his work. biden's longtime friend senator john mccain, telling kelly o'donnell -- >> i think he sees this trust factor of hillary clinton in a steep decline. and i think that he's examining his options. >> reporter: and there are other challenges, alex. some of biden's key aides have already begun working with and helping secretary clinton. clinton has broad support among democrats. she's polling very well right now. democratic sources say, look the reality is biden would likely only really consider running if she were to stumble in a big way. he has always said publicly he will make the decision at the end of the summer. he is going to take a vacation with his family and talk to his family about i

joe biden knows what beau wants. now he has to decide if it's who he is. a decision could come this september from the vice president. >>> hillary clinton is going up against her first ad buys $2 million to be exact. here is one of those ads reintroducing himself to voters. >> after law school she went to work for the children's defense fund. in arkansas she fought for school reform to change lives forever. then as first lady she helped to get health care for 8 million kids. you probably know the rest. the senator who made sure that heroes and families of 9/11 got the care they needed. the secretary of state who joined the cabinet of the man who defeated her because when your president calls, you serve. and now a new title. grandma. >> i believe that when families are strong america is strong. it's your time. >>> tragic news over the "weekend now." a manhunt is under way in tennessee this morning for tremaine wilburn, suspected of fatally shooting a memphis police officer, sean bolton during a traffic stop wednesday night. >> reporter: in but an instant sa

so, i completely have faith in that beau biden anecdote.times" headline on the lead story today taking steps, and i don't think that's necessarily overwritten, but it's a long distance between, you know, taking steps and talking to people and actually announcing a candidacy. i'm curious to see, you know, which way we're going to end up going. >> gerry, a couple things i found out in my reporting. there's going to be a big family vacation bidens will have, in the next couple of weeks where the real decision is made. his sister ran his campaign. his niece was political director. these are family decisions. but it is -- the other aspect of this is, how serious -- i mean, are donors asking for this? do we think other democrats are getting nervous about hillary? >> that's one of the questions. there are many questions. i don't think this situation has changed a lot in the last few weeks. wrote about this a few weeks ago, the family always thought this was a good idea. hunter, not just beau biden, apparently has said, you should do this, but othe

months after his death former delaware attorney general beau biden is being honored, we will explainow and wye whom. >>> plus a big change coming to pennsylvania politics at least the way you vote for your politicians, the governor's announcement is next. >>> police think may have their man. come up how they think they found them. >>> we are nearing the papal visit and septa is urging residents to take advantage of their services. they have thousands of passes left for that week even. >>> plus a big time businessman says people of means, need to give. we will show you just how he is putting his money where his mouth is. it is friday, august 28th, weather-wise, a perfect day to come on down to fourth and market between 7:00 and 10:00 to daze and help us a as we fill backpacks as we get ready to go back to school. it is a school supply drive here we will have here at fox 29. perfect weather for it. >> no excuses, right. step outside, nice and comfortable. you don't need the coat just a little cool right now in the suburbs but it will warm up around sunrise at 6:25. it is 66 right now.

i think he deserves to do that for beau.k at the end of the day, doing it because beau biden wanting him to do it is not reason enough. >> but what you have people in the establishment, as you say, coming and saying we're scared we're scared she's losing. she's not going to make it and that becomes a very compelling argument. >> but let's be very clear, we're not at that point yet. all of the polls you mentioned, look at the enthusiasm among the democrats. yes, bernie sanders is getting huge crowds and yes, he's getting bigger numbers in the polls. but he still has a substantial lead over him and the democratic enthusiasm within the democratic caucus and primary voters is tremendous. >> what is your read of biden, could he get in this and actually give her a real challenge? >> single digits in the polls really hasn't shown strength up to this point, hillary clinton is clearly the strong front-runner. i think joe biden has been in the game a while. he's certainly better than hillary clinton on that metric. to the extent he ca

beau pushed him down. he hit a chair. it's a crazy household right now. keep them alive. just keep them alive. >> he's raising nephew till. till is a big kid. >> they put me in the headlock a couple of nights ago. and i really wasn't getting out of it. so yeah. he's in football right now. working out every day. show him who's boss every now and then, but it's amazing having my nephew in the house. >> here we go. >> luke performed songs from his new album "kill the lights" along with his hit in a small new york venue presented by citi and streamed the show on the web. >> we get mad at the internet but when you can do a show in a small venue like this and broadcast it out to millions of people, it's why you love that aspect of the internet. we're excited that people can sit at home and watch it and hear some new music. play it again >> well, the internet was certainly filled this weekend with memories of frank gifford after his passing and all thoughts about marriage passing through the test of time. frank and kathie lee faced many storms but their commitment always survive

>> i know beau biden believed his father would make an incredible president.here is no doubt in my mind beau thought his dad would make an incredible president. we had a lot of conversations and we sat together in the office and talked about who our fund-raisers would be. they were always talking about his race for governor. that was his focus. >> you almost had me there. >> yeah, yeah. >> the bidens haven't asked to you stop doing this. to begin this draft biden campaign. that gives you hope, i would imagine. >> i wouldn't be here if it wasn't the right thing to do. two weeks before i joined, i heard friends of mine and beau's in the biden network of supporters. i heard from people on the ground in iowa. iowans who i helped organize for his run in 2007. calling me insane, he would get in the race and we would love to see him on the stage in las vegas. this is the right place for me to be right now. >> and you are obviously getting out there as part of draft biden and getting grass roots support. >> our list has grown significantly. >> how much support is ther

one possible factor, his late son beau who passed away in brain cancer at age 46. >> beau encouraged his father to run before his death. they had had conversations about this. even when beau was sick, he still said i think you should run. >> the vice president's press secretary down played the speculation, writing, as the biden family continues to go through this difficult time, the vice president is focused on his family and immersed in his work. senator john mccain, biden's long time friend, telling kelly o'donnell. >> i sees the trust factor of hillary clinton in a steep decline. and i think that he's examined his options. >> reporter: meanwhile, the gop race is heating up too as candidates get ready to face off this week in their first debate. only the top ten candidates qualify for the primetime stage. front-runner, donald trump, a political novice tried to lower expectations. >> i have no idea how i'll do. maybe i'll do terribly, maybe great. >> the big challenge for the nine other candidates who will be on stage, how to respond to trump's brash style. >> what do you expect in

his son beau biden urged his father to run before dying of brain cancer in may.eau biden's close advisers is joining a grassroots movement called draft biden. and the vice president is holding political meetings of his own with his old network of supporters to see if there is interest in backing a new campaign. questions about clinton's candidacy hang over the biden boom. a recent poll showed 37% viewed clinton as honest and trust worthy. while 57% did not. for biden it was the reverse. 58% found him honest and trust worthy. 34% did not. new hampshire democrat mary foley is but begging biden to run. >> hillary clinton has a problem with trust in the country now. and i do believe if and when he decides to run, joe will add a new dimension to this race. >> biden has run for president twice before. he has never ruled out a third time. if he did, the gaffes would follow him into the race. like this famous expletive. >> [ bleep ]. >> he told gloria borger last year he would make his own decision. >> will you run if she runs? >> absolutely. that's not the reason not to

beau biden, of course, and wa he said on his death bed but not the only part of this. as far as i know, has just looked at adversity and challenges and just -- they are all like let's get up and go and run over them. i think what we heard from beau biden is part of the dna of every person in the biden family and it is hard to imagine that anyone is trying to put brakes on joe biden's aspirations. >> there is a report of a meeting being scheduled after labor day, senior party players, and a bunch of biden loyalists getting together. what could they be talking about? >> i think a presidential run, lawrence. i think it is safe to say joe biden wants to run for president and has been running for president the last 28 years off and on. i think that there are some advisers close to him that are worried about what it may mean for his legacy, about the possibility of losing. so, i think there's some push and pull within biden world but i don't think anybody should be under any mistaken impression that joe biden doesn't want to be the president of the united states. >> steve, i

joe biden knows what beau wants. now he just has to decide if it's who he is. he doesn't want the party to hover over his legacy, but how do you deny someone, if he does move forward, say he is inspired by his son's words? >> right. i think that's a really good question. and there is no doubt that beau biden's wishes, joe biden's family's wishes will be a factor in this decision. and in talking with friends of joe biden, they've made clear that beau expressed, even after he was sick, expressed to his dad that he would like to see his dad run. hunter biden, the bidens' younger son, has even reached out to friends in recent weeks even after beau biden's death and has said that he still wants to see his father run. so certainly that has to factor into this decision. and at this point, it appears that joe biden is at least listening to his friends and political allies who are urging him to jump in the race. he's at least giving this some consideration, but it's worth noting that hillary clinton still has a very big lead. this would be a steep hill to climb for joe

his late son beau lobbied his father to run before his death. people close to biden said he has not made up his mind. a biden spokesperson says the bidens are still grieving and speculation about a white house run is premature and inappropriate inappropriate. the vice president would face a daunting task catching up to hillary clinton. the clinton campaign is not worrying a decision of joe biden. >> we will let him make his decision. however hard it is to secure the democratic nomination is however hard it is. we have no illusions. we never thought this was going to be to be easy. we will be prepared to handle. >> the clinton campaign rolled out the first set of tv ads with $1 million ad buys in iowa and new hampshire. in one ad, she tells the story of her mother dorothy. >> when she needed a champion someone was there. i think about all the dorothys all over america who fight for their families who never give up. that's why i'm doing this. that's why i've always done this. for all the dorothys. i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message. >>