>> HE WROTE AN ARTICLE SAYING
THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM.
ITS NOT SOMETHING THAT IM
GOING TO BE PURSUING.
>> HARRIS WAS BORN IN OAKLAND,
CALIFORNIA.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS THE
INDEPENDENT SENATOR FROM
VERMONT, BERNIE SANDERS.
SENATOR SANDERS, WELCOME BACK TO
"MEET THE PRESS," WHILE THIS IS
A CONVENTION SUNDAY AND WE WANT
TO TALK ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN, I
WANT TO START WITH THE POSTAL
SERVICE, YOUVE SPENT A LOT OF
TIME IN YOUR CAREER FIGHTING ON
BEHALF OF THE POSTAL SERVICE IN
DIFFERENT WAYS, FIGHTING TO MAKE
SURE STUFF DOESNT GET CUT.
THIS IS A TOPIC YOU ARE WELL
VERSED IN.
SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS ABOUT
WHAT WERE SEEING RIGHT NOW.
ON ONE HAND THE UNITED STATES
POSTAL SERVICE IS TELLING STATES
THEY CANT HANDLE THE INCREASED
CAPACITY OF MAIL-IN VOTING AND
ON THE OTHER HAND WEVE GOT
REPORTS OF SORTING MACHINES
GOING AWAY, NO MORE OVERTIME.
WHAT ARE WE WITNESSING HERE,
SENATOR SANDERS, LEGITIMATE
REFORM OF THE POSTAL SERVICE OR
SABOTAGE?
>> CHUCK, WHAT YOU ARE
WITNESSING IS A PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES WHO IS DOING
EVERYTHING HE CAN TO SUPPRESS
THE VOTE, MAKE IT HARDER FOR
PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN MAIL-IN
BALLOTING AT A TIME WHEN PEOPLE
WILL BE PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON
THE LINE BY HAVING TO GO OUT TO
A POLLING STATION AND VOTE.
SO WHAT TRUMP IS SAYING IS WERE
GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN
AND THIS IS NOT ME TALKING, THIS
IS WHAT TRUMP HIMSELF SAID.
LOOK, I HAPPEN TO THINK, AS YOU
KNOW THAT TRUMP IS A
PATHOLOGICAL LIAR.
HE LIES ALL OF THE TIME, BUT I
HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THE OTHER DAY
HE WAS VERY HONEST.
HE SAID, LOOK, WE WANT TO KILL
MAIL-IN BALLOTING.
WE DONT WANT MILLIONS AND
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO
CAST THEIR BALLOTS THROUGH THE
MAIL SO WELL DESTROY THE POSTAL
SERVICE.
WELL DEFUND IT.
THEY CANT VOTE.
I GUESS THAT HE THINKS THAT A
SUPPRESSED VOTE, A LOWER VOTER
TURNOUT WILL WORK FOR HIM AND
HELP HIM WIN THE ELECTION.
THIS IS A DELIBERATE E FOR THE
TO DEFUND AND DESTROY THE U.S.
POSTAL SERVICE SO THAT PEOPLE
CANNOT ENGAGE IN MAIL-IN
BALLOTS.
THATS NOT BERNIE SANDERS
TALKING.
THATS WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS
TELLING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND
IT IS AN OUTRAGE, CHUCK, BECAUSE
THIS CAMPAIGN IS MORE THAN
HEALTH CARE.
ITS MORE THAN EDUCATION, ITS
MORE THAN THE POSTAL SERVICE.
IT IS DEMOCRACY AND HE IS
SABOTAGING OUR DEMOCRACY.
>> THINK THE QUESTION NOW IS
WHAT DOES CONGRESS DO?
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
THE HOUSE IS YOURE HEARING SOME
WORD THAT THE HOUSE DEMOCRATIC
LEADERSHIP IS THINKING ABOUT
BRINGING THE HOUSE BACK EARLY TO
DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THIS POSTAL
SERVICE CRISIS.
DO YOU THINK THATS A GOOD IDEA
AND DO YOU WANT TO SEE SENATOR
MITCH McCONNELL DO THE SAME
THING?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC
LEADERSHIP IN THE HOUSE, NANCY
PELOSI AND OTHERS ARE TALKING
ABOUT IS EXACTLY RIGHT.
THIS AGAIN IS NOT A DEBATE ABOUT
THE POSTAL SERVICE ALONE.
THATS IMPORTANT.
THIS IS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND WHETHER
PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO PART
PARTICIPATE.
CHUCK, EARLIER THIS WEEK, HERE
IN VERMONT WE HAD OUR PRIMARIES.
WE HAD THE LARGEST VOTER TURNOUT
IN PRIMARIES IN VERMONT HISTORY.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE VOTED BY
MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
IT WORKED JUST FINE.
WE CAN DO THIS IN EVERY STATE IN
THIS COUNTRY, SO I WOULD URGE
SPEAKER PELOSI TO BRING BACK THE
HOUSE.
WE WILL DO EVERYTHING THAT WE
CAN TO GET McCONNELL TO BRING
BACK THE SENATE.
THIS IS A CRISIS FOR AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY.
WEVE GOT TO ACT AND ACT NOW.
>> YOU KNOW, YOUR COLLEAGUE
BRIAN SCHATS, DEMOCRAT IN HAWAII
SAW TRUMP MESSING WITH IT IS
MORE IMPEACHABLE THAN THE
UKRAINE THING WHICH WAS SUPER
IMPEACHABLE.
HES GOING TO TRY TO CHEAT.
I GUESS, WHAT DO YOU CALL WHAT
THE PRESIDENT IS DOING WHEN HE
SAID THAT HES HOPING THIS LACK
OF A DEAL ON THE POSTAL SERVICE
MEANS NO MAIL-IN VOTING?
WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?
>> I CALL IT UNDERMINING
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, AND CHUCK,
WHAT I HOPE IS THAT EVERYBODY
KNOWS MY POINT OF VIEW.
I AM A STRONG PROGRESSIVE, BUT
THIS CAMPAIGN IS NOT ABOUT
WHETHER YOURE PROGRESSIVE OR
MODERATE OR CONSERVATIVE.
THIS CAMPAIGN IN THE DEEPER
SENSE IS WHETHER WE RESPECT THE
SACRIFICES THE MEN AND WOMEN
DIED IN DEFENDING AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY AGAINST THE PRESIDENT
WHO REALLY QUITE OPENLY IS
TRYING TO UNDERMINE OUR
DEMOCRACY AND I HOPE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER,
PROGRESSIVE, MODERATES,
CONSERVATIVES TO SAY SORRY, MR.
PRESIDENT, WE MAY HAVE OUR
DISAGREEMENT, BUT IN AMERICA WE
ARE A DEMOCRACY.
EVERYBODY IS GOING TO VOTE AND
WERE NOT GOING TO LET YOU GET
AWAY WITH WHAT YOURE DOING.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU TELL VOTERS
RIGHT NOW THAT WANT TO VOTE BY
MAIL THAT ARE NERVOUS?
>> I WOULD TELL THEM, LOOK, THE
AVERAGE VOTER IS PUT IN A VERY
DIFFICULT POSITION.
YOU ARE MORE THAN FAMILIAR WITH
THE FACT THAT THERE ARE STATES
WHICH HAVE DISCOURAGED MAIL-IN
VOTES AND URGED PEOPLE TO COME
TO THE POLLING PLACES AND SOME
OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE BECOME
SICK.
SO THE AVERAGE PERSON IS PUT IN
THIS TERRIBLE QUAGMIRE.
YES, I WANT TO VOTE AND
PARTICIPATE IN DEMOCRACY, BUT
IM AFRAID TO GO OUT.
THE PEOPLE WHO MAN THE POLLING
STATIONS OFTEN ARE OLDER PEOPLE.
THEY ARE AFRAID OF SPENDING AN
ENTIRE DAY OF DEALING WITH
VOTING.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IT PEOPLE IS
STAY TUNED.
IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WE WANT
TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE OF
THIS COUNTRY HAVE THE RIGHT TO
VOTE AND DONALD TRUMP IS NOT
GOING TO UNDERMINE OUR
DEMOCRACY.
>> WHEN YOU SAY STAY TUNED, WHAT
DOES THAT MEAN?
DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE CONGRESS
CAN ACT TO HAMSTRING THE
PRESIDENT HERE?
HE SEEMS TO CONTROL THE --
>> WE WILL DO EVERYTHING THAT WE
CAN IN EVERY WAY THAT WE CAN AND
DIFFERENT STATES MAY RESPOND
DIFFERENTLY, BUT THIS IS AN
ISSUE.
THIS REALLY IS AN ISSUE WHERE
IDEOLOGY SHOULDNT GET IN THE
WAY.
>> I DONT CARE IF YOURE A
CONSERVATIVE, MODERATE, WHATEVER
YOU ARE.
IF YOU BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE HAVE
A RIGHT TO VOTE AND IN A
PANDEMIC SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PUT
THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO GO
INTO A POLLING STATION, YOU KNOW
WHAT?
YOU WILL HAVE TO SUPPORT THE
FULL FUNDING OF THE POSTAL
SERVICE AND MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE CAN PARTICIPATE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT TOMORROW
NIGHT.
YOURE SPEAKING ON THE SAME
NIGHT AS JOHN KASICH.
FIRST OF ALL, WHAT DO YOU MAKE
OF THAT, NUMBER ONE, AND GIVE US
A PREVIEW OF YOUR SPEECH IF YOU
DONT MIND.
>> ONLY IF YOU DONT TELL
ANYBODY, CHUCK, ALL RIGHT?
JUST KEEP THAT BETWEEN YOU AND
ME WHAT MY SPEECH IS.
WHAT IM GOING TO BE TALKING
ABOUT ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS,
NUMBER ONE WHAT I JUST REFERRED
TO IS THAT THIS IS A CAMPAIGN
ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE MAINTAIN
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.
WE HAVE A PRESIDENT AND ITS NOT
JUST THE POSTAL SERVICE.
YOU WILL RECALL THAT NOT SO LONG
AGO TRUMP SAID MAYBE WE SHOULD
DELAY THE ELECTION.
IM BEHIND IN THE POLLS, LETS
DELAY THE ELECTION AND EARLIER
THAN THAT, MAYBE IF I LOSE I MAY
NOT WANT TO LEAVE OFFICE.
THIS IS A PRESIDENT WHO HAS USED
FEDERAL AGENTS IN UNMARKED CARS
TO ROUND UP PEOPLE EXERCISING
THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO
PROTEST.
SO THIS IS A CAMPAIGN ABOUT
DEMOCRACY, BUT ILL TELL YOU
WHAT ELSE IT IS.
RIGHT NOW, AS WE SPEAK, CHUCK,
AND WE DONT TALK ABOUT THIS
ENOUGH.
WITH 30 MILLION PEOPLE HAVING
LOST THEIR JOBS SINCE THE
PANDEMIC AND SINCE THOSE $600
CHECKS HAVE CEASED TO COME, WHAT
YOU ARE SEEING IN ALL OVER THIS
COUNTRY IS PEOPLE IN ECONOMIC
DESPERATION.
YOURE SEEING PEOPLE WHO TODAY
IN AMERICA, THE RICHEST COUNTRY
ON EARTH UNABLE TO FEED THEIR
KIDS AND WORRIED ABOUT BEING
EVICTED FROM THEIR HOMES.
YOU ARE SEEING PEOPLE WHO CANNOT
PAY THEIR BILLS AND HAVE NO
HEALTH INSURANCE.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS AN
ABSOLUTE HORROR SHOW.
WHAT CONGRESS HAS GOT TO DO IS
NOT ONLY FUND THE POSTAL
SERVICE.
WEVE GOT TO MAINTAIN THOSE $600
CHECKS.
WEVE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE GET AT LEAST $1200 TO PAY
THEIR BILLS AND OBVIOUSLY TRUMP
AND McCONNELL HAVE DONE NOTHING
IN THAT REGARD.
>> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT ONE
ASPECT OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
PLATFORM, THERE IS ONE REFERENCE
WE CAN FIND TO MEDICARE FOR ALL.
IM GOING TO READ IT HERE.
WE ARE PROUD OUR PARTY WELCOMES
ADVOCATES WHO WANT TO BUILD ON
AND STRENGTHEN THE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT AND THOSE WHO SUPPORTED
MEDICARE FOR ALL APPROACH.
ALL ARE CRITICAL TO ENSURING
HEALTH CARE IS A HUMAN RIGHT.
IT IS THE ONLY REFERENCE WE
COULD FIND TO MEDICARE FOR ALL.
HOW DO YOU FEEL OVERALL ABOUT
THE PARTY PLATFORM AND DO YOU
FEEL LIKE YOUVE GOT ENOUGH OF
YOUR VIEWS REPRESENTED IN IT?
>> WELL, CHUCK, AS YOU MAY BE
AWARE I AM NOT THE CANDIDATE.
SO MY VIEWS ARE NOT THE DOMINANT
VIEWS, BUT WHAT I WILL CREDIT
STRONGLY OF THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN
TOWARDS WHAT JOE AND I TALKED
ABOUT THIS AND HE AND I AGREED
THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TASK FORCES
DEALING WITH SOME OF THE MAJOR
ISSUES FACING THIS COUNTRY
INCLUDING THE ECONOMY AND HEALTH
CARE AND CLIMATE CHANGE AND
EDUCATION, ET CETERA, AND THE
PEOPLE ON THOSE TASK FORCES WORK
VERY, VERY HARD AND IM NOT HERE
TO TELL YOU AS A STRONG ADVOCATE
FOR MEDICARE FOR ALL THAT WE GOT
EVERYTHING WE WANTED.
WE TRULY DID NOT, BUT I THINK IF
PEOPLE LOOK AT THE OUTCOME OF
THOSE TASK FORCES TO FIND THE
REALITY THAT IF THOSE TASK FORCE
PROPOSALS ARE IMPLEMENTED.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
JOE BIDEN WILL BECOME THE MOST
PROGRESSIVE PRESIDENT SINCE
FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT AND
THAT OF THIS MOMENT IS WHAT WE
SNEAD
NEED.
>> KAMALA HARRIS, THIS IS JOE
BIDENS FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY, PERHAPS A FUTURE
PRESIDENT AND A FUTURE NOMINEE
IS SHE A FUTURE MEMBER OF THE
PROGRESSIVE PARTY.
>> ALMOST ALL PROGRESSIVES
UNDERSTAND THAT IN THIS MOMENT
WE HAVE GOT TO DO EVERYTHING WE
CAN TO COME TOGETHER TO DEFEAT
DONALD TRUMP WHO IN MY VIEW IS
THE MOST DANGEROUS PRESIDENT IN
THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY.
AS I HAVE SAID MANY, MANY TIMES
THE DAY AFTER BIDEN IS ELECTED
WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE
GRASSROOTS PEOPLE OF THIS
COUNTRY, WITH WORKING PEOPLE, TO
STAND UP TO FIGHT FOR AN AGENDA
THAT WORKS FOR WORKING FAMILIES
AND NOT JUST THE 1% AND THAT
MOST CERTAINLY INCLUDES MEDICARE
FOR ALL.
SO WE ARE GOING TO RALLY THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE AROUND AN AGENDA
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT
THE DAY AFTER BIDEN IS ELECTED.
>> VERY QUICKLY, IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN, KANYE WEST IS TRYING
TO GET ON THE BALLOT AND ONE OF
HIS PETITION SIGNATURES THAT
APPARENTLY RIGHT NOW IS BEING
USED TO GET HIM ON THE BALLOT IS
BY THE NAME OF A -- THE
GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF BERNIE
SANDERS AND IT CLAIMS THAT YOU
HAVE SIGNED THIS.
MICKEY MOUSE APPARENTLY SIGNED
THIS PETITION SIGNATURES.
I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THAT THAT
IS NOT YOU, SIR.
>> I CANNOT CONFIRM MICKEY
MOUSE.
THAT, I DONT KNOW ABOUT, BUT I
CAN TELL YOU I CERTAINLY DID NOT
SIGN THAT PETITION.
>> OKAY.
>> SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS, WE
LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT YOU
HAVE TO SAY TOMORROW NIGHT AND
AGAIN, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
SHARING THE STAGE WITH JOHN
KASICH?
>> JOHN WILL DO HIS THING, I
WILL DO MY THING.
I EXPECT THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT
TYPE OF SPEECH E BUTES, BUT WE A
UNITED IN THE STANDING THAT
TRUMP HAS TO BE DEFEATED AND
BIDEN HAS TO BE ELECTED.
>> ALL RIGHT.
BERNIE SANDERS, THE PROGRESSIVE
INDEPENDENT SENATOR FROM
