OUR FIRST GUEST IS THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

STATES AND PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR

PRESIDENT, THE ONE AND ONLY JOE BIDEN!

HOW ARE YOU, SIR?

DOING WELL?

>> I'M DOING WELL.

A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE HURTING VERY BADLY, BUT WE'RE

DOING WELL.

WE'RE HERE, IN THE BASEMENT OF MY HOME, WHICH IS TURNED INTO A

TELEVISION STUDIO.

I'M NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT.

I GET TO ZOOM AND TALK WITH MY GRANDKIDS AND SON AND DAUGHTER.

SO, YOU KNOW -- >> James: YOU'RE IN YOUR

BASEMENT, I'M IN MY GARAGE.

THIS WAS NEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES WITH WHICH I THOUGHT WE WOULD

EVER MEET.

>> NO.

MINE EITHER.

BUT I'M JUST GLAD I'M NOT IN YOUR CAR BECAUSE I CAN'T SING

WORTH A DAMN.

>> James: WELL MAYBE WE'LL FIND OUT ONE DAY.

WE'LL SEE.

>> OH, NO.

I TELL YOU, MY DAD, WHEN HE WAS A KID USED TO HAVE A BAND, AND

HE PLAYED THE CAR NET AND SAXOPHONE, HE COULD SING AND

DANCE, AND HE SAID, JOEY, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU CAME FROM,

YOU HAVE NO LIP, YOU CAN'T PLAY A READ INSTRUMENT, CAN'T CARRY A

TUNE IN A BARREL, HAVE TWO LEFT FEET, BUT I LOVE YOU ANYWAY.

HE WAS RIGHT BACK THEN.

>> James: MY DAD IS ALSO A CLARINET AND SAXOPHONE PLAYER.

>> IS THAT RIGHT?

>> James: YEAH, BUT I HAVE NO MUSICAL ABILITY WITH ANY

INSTRUMENT EVER.

I REALLY WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS, VICE PRESIDENT,

BECAUSE BACK ON JANUARY 27, YOU WROTE AN OP-ED PIECE IN

"USA TODAY" WHERE YOU SAID I AM CONCERNED WE ARE UNPREPARED FOR

A DANGEROUS EPIDEMIC.

WHAT WAS IT THAT ALARMED YOU ABOUT THIS VIRUS QUITE SO EARLY,

LIKE WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT?

>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT ALARMED ME WAS THAT WORD CAME

OUT OF -- THAT THE FIRST CASE IN KOREA -- IN SOUTH KOREA AND THE

UNITED STATES HIT ABOUT THE SAME TIME.

IT WAS CLEAR TO ME FROM WHEN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

TRANSITIONED FROM US TO THEM THAT THEY HAD NO INTEREST IN

TALKING ABOUT PANDEMICS.

WE WARNED THEM ABOUT THEM, WE WERE CONCERNED THERE WOULD BE

FUTURE PANDEMICS, WE HAD SET UP AN OFFICE WITHIN THE WHITE HOUSE

TO HAVE A PANDEMIC OFFICE.

THEY JUST DISREGARDED ALL OF IT, AND IT WAS CLEAR TO ME BY THAT

TIME THE PRESIDENT HAD NO SENSE, NO SENSE OF SCIENCE, NO SENSE OF

RESPONSIBILITY.

AND I JUST REALLY --T IT REALLY WORRIED ME THAT HE WAS BOTH

UNQUALIFIED AND INCOMPETENT TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

IT'S NOT ANYTHING HE'S EVER DEALT WITH OR HAD ANY

INCLINATION TO DEAL WITH.

>> James: IF YOU WERE IN OFFICE RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU

HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY AND WHAT WOULD YOU THE BE DOING

DIFFERENTLY RIGHT NOW?

>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

THIS PRESIDENT SAYS I HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY, IT'S NOT MY

RESPONSIBILITY.

WELL WHO IN THE HELL IS IT IF IT'S NOT THE PRESIDENT OF THE

UNITED STATES' RESPONSIBILITY?

AND I WOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE AND I WOULD BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT

WE'RE DOING.

LOOK, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE FIRST THING I -- AND I SUGGESTED

THIS A WHILE AGO -- WE SHOULD HAVE A SUPPLY COMMANDER, LIKE A

MILITARY PERSON WHO, IN A WAR, HAS CHARGE OF ALL TO HAVE ASSETS

THAT THE MILITARY NEEDS.

WELL, WE HAVE SOLDIERS IN THIS WAR, THEY'RE FIRST RESPONDERS,

THEY'RE DOCTORS, PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE FRONT LINES, THEY'RE

NURSES, THEY'RE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STACKING GROCERY

SHELVES, ALL THESE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE, NUMBER ONE.

NUMBER TWO, I ARGUE THAT HE SHOULD USE WHAT THEY CALL THE

CREATE THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY

LIKE HE FINALLY DID WITH GENERAL MOTORS, I HAVE THE AUTHORITY

UNDER THIS ACT TO MAKE SURE YOU MAKE VENTILATORS FOR PEOPLE IN

HOSPITALS, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OF THEM.

HE SHOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING FOR THE INGREDIENTS NEEDED

FOR TESTING, FOR GLOVES, FOR MASKS, FOR GOWNS, AND I WOULD

HAVE ESTABLISHED -- IF I WERE IN CONGRESS, I WOULD HAVE MOVED TO

ESTABLISH WHAT THEY CALL A PANDEMIC TESTING BOARD, LIKE

F.D.R. DID THE WAR PRODUCTION BOARD, TO MAKE SURE WE GOT ALL

THIS DONE, AN OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR ObamaCare.

PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO DEATH, AND HE'S TRYING TO GET RID OF THE

ONLY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM WE HAVE OUT THERE OTHER THAN MEDICARE,

MEDICAID, AND, I MEAN, FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE INSURANCE.

AND I WOULD COLLECT MORE DATA.

WE HAVE TO COLLECT HARD DATA ON THE DISPROPORTION TO MINORITIES,

AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND LATINOS.

I WOULD BE DOING THAT AND MOST ANYONE ELSE WOULD BE DOING THAT.

>> James: WHY DO YOU THINK HE ISN'T?

>> BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

HE DOESN'T WANT ANY RESPONSIBILITY.

I THINK HE'S IN A SITUATION WHERE -- IF YOU LISTEN TO HIS

PRESS BRIEFINGS, WHAT'S HE DO?

IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM.

IT'S NOT ABOUT US OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

HE TALKS ACT THE GOVERNORS SHOULD THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE'S

DONE.

WELL, WHAT THE HELL DOES HE THINK HIS JOB IS?

PEOPLE SHOULD UNDERSTAND HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING.

HE INITIALLY SAID THIS WAS GOING TO GO AWAY IN WARM WEATHER.

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT IN WORLD WAR II SAID, LOOK, THE AMERICAN

PEOPLE -- I'M PARAPHRASING -- CAN HANDING ANYTHING, BUT YOU'VE

GOT TO TELL THEM THE TRUTH, AND HE DOESN'T TELL THEM THE TRUTH.

THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HE SHOULD BE DOING.

>> James: YOU MENTIONED HIS PRESS BRIEFINGS THERE.

HOW FRUSTRATING IS IT FOR YOU AS THE PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE TO BE IN

QUARANTINE IN YOUR BASEMENT ON ZOOM CALLS, WHILE THE PRESIDENT

IS GETTING TO DO THESE -- WE'RE CALLING THEM PRESS BRIEFINGS BUT

OFTENTIMES THEY FEEL LIKE CAMPAIGN RALLIES -- HOW

FRUSTRATING IS IT FOR YOU IN YOUR BASEMENT, WATCHING THE

PRESIDENT DO THIS FOR TWO HOURS EVERY DAY?

>> WELL, THE FRUSTRATION IS HE'S LEAVING SO MANY PEOPLE BEHIND.

LOOK AT ALL THE FIRST RESPONDERS, LOOK AT ALL THE

PEOPLE WHO ARE PUTTING THEMSELVES IN HARM'S WAY, I MEAN

LITERALLY, THEY'RE RISKING THEIR LIVES AND SOME ARE LOSING THEIR

LIVES.

YOU HAVE A SON-IN-LAW, MY DAUGHTER'S HUSBAND IS A SURGEON

UP IN PHILADELPHIA, HE TALKS ABOUT HOW NURSES COME IN AND,

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AFRAID TO GO HOME, THEY DON'T WANT TO

COMMUNICATE ANY VIRUS THAT THEY MAY HAVE.

THEY TALK ABOUT THE DOCS WHO ARE GOING IN AND DYING IN OTHER

PARTS OF THE -- I MEAN, WHAT I FOCUS ON IS LOOK AT THE DAMAGE

BEING DONE TO SO MANY FAMILIES THAT WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE DONE IF

WE HAD JUST TAKEN ACTION AND PREPARED, OR EVEN IF HE DIDN'T

KNOW HOW TO PREPARE, IF, ONCE IT BECAME CLEAR TO HIM, IF HE

STOPPED SLOW-MOTION EVERYTHING -- EVERYTHING WITH

HIM IS SLOW MOTION, NOTHING IS WE'VE GOT TO MOVE QUICKLY,

QUICKLY PROVIDE ALL THIS -- ALL THIS GEAR FOR PEOPLE, THE

TESTING MATERIALS.

I MEAN, THERE'S SO MUCH WE COULD DO TO CHANGE THIS, AND WHAT I

GET FRUSTRATED ABOUT IS WHEN I LOOK AT HIM UP THERE GOING

THROUGH HIS ANTICS ABOUT HIM, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT HIM, IS WHAT

ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING HURT AND SOME WHO ARE DYING.

I REALLY MEAN IT.

>> James: NOW, THERE IS A FEELING SOUTHERN STATES --

GEORGIA,TONTOP, SOUTH CAROLINA -- TENNESSEE,

SOUTH CAROLINA -- HAVE ANNOUNCED PLANS TO EASE SHELTERING IN

PLACE.

FEELS LIKE AERIES ARIC.

WOULD -- FEELS LIKE A RISK.

WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

DO YOU THINK IT'S A RISK TO START EASING THESE SHELTER IN

PLACES?

>> LOOK, WE HAD A FALSE CHOICE BEING MADE BETWEEN THE PUBLIC

HEALTH AND ECONOMY, IT'S A FALSE CHOICE.

NUMBER ONE, EVEN BY HIS OWN PEOPLE, WHEN HE SET OUT HIS

GUIDELINES, WE HAVE TO GET THE NUMBER OF NEW CASES DOWN

SIGNIFICANTLY, AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND

WE HAVE TO IMPLEMENT HIS POWER TO GET ALL THIS MATERIAL THAT WE

NEED TO DEAL WITH THIS AND TO HAVE A SUPPLY COMMANDER.

YOU KNOW, WE NEED WIDESPREAD, AVAILABLE TESTING.

WE DON'T HAVE THE ELEMENTS TO DO THAT.

IT'S WITHIN HIS POWER TO INSIST THAT IT BE TONE.

WE HAVE TO ENSURE HOSPITALS ARE READY IF THERE'S A FLAREUP

AGAIN, AND MAKING SURE THEY NOT ONLY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED FOR

NOW, BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF IT FLARES UP AGAIN?

ARE THERE ENOUGH P.P.E.s AND MATERIAL TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE

GOING TO BE SAFE?

>> James: YEAH.

I MEAN, WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THIS.

WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SWABS.

WHY IN GOD'S NAME ARE WE SHORT ON SWABS IF HE HAS THE POWER TO

TURN AND SAY I NEED YOU TO MAKE ME 50 MILLION SWABS.

HE HAS THE AUTHORITY UNDER THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT TO GO TO

THE COMPANIES THAT HAVE THAT CAPACITY.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH DOING THAT?

WHAT IS HE WORRIED ABOUT?

HE HAS THE POWER.

HE SAYS HE'S A WARTIME COMMANDER.

ACT LIKE A WARTIME COMMANDER.

GIVE YOUR TROOPS, THE DOCTORS, THE NURSES, THE FIRST

RESPONDERS, THE HOSPITALS, GIVE THEM THE AMMUNITION THEY NEED TO

DEAL WITH THIS, NOT ONLY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, BUT TO END

THIS, TO MOVE US A PLACE WHERE WE CAN, IN FACT, OPEN UP AND

OPEN UP SAFELY.

THERE'S NO EXCUSE, IN MY VIEW.

>> James: PEOPLE EVERYWHERE ARE TERRIFIED AT THE MOMENT,

PEOPLE ARE LOSING JOBS AND WORRIED ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GOING

TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO ARE FEELING SCARED

AND THEY'RE FEELING NERVOUS AND THEY'RE FEELING ANXIOUS AT THE

MOMENT?

>> LOOK, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THE SOUL OF AMERICA, WHEN I RAN FOR

OFFICE, AND WE'RE NOW SEEING, EVERY DAY, THAT SOUL OF

AMERICA -- NURSES, DOCTORS, FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS,

TEACHERS -- THESE ARE REAL HEROES, AND THE PRESIDENT -- BUT

WITH THE PRESIDENT, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT HIM.

IT'S NOT ABOUT HIM.

IT'S ABOUT US.

IT'S ABOUT THESE PEOPLE.

IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE GREAT THINGS FOR US.

THINK OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT YOU COULD SAY THANK YOU TO AND, YOU

KNOW, I'M GOING TO SOUND LIKE THE UGLY AMERICAN HERE, BUT I'M

SO PROUD OF THE COUNTRY.

THE COUNTRY IS STANDING UP, PEOPLE ARE MAKING REAL

SACRIFICES, THEY'RE REACHING OUT TO THEIR FRIENDS AND PEOPLE THEY

DON'T EVEN KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW A SINGLE COP OR SINGLE FIRST RESPONDER OR

FIREFIGHTER THAT WHEN THERE'S A CRASH IN AN AUTOMOBILE DOESN'T

JUST GO IN AND TRY TO PULL THE PERSON OUT AND RESCUE THEM,

PERIOD OR PUT THEM IN THE BACK OF AN AMBULANCE AND GET THEM TO

A HOSPITAL, WHATEVER THE EMERGENCY IS, WITHOUT WORRYING

ABOUT WHETHER THEY'RE BLACK, WHITE, RICH OR POOR, THEY'RE

JUST IN TROUBLE AND THEY KNOW THEY'RE RISKING THEIR LIVES

DOING IT.

BUT THINK OF ALL THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ACTS OF BRAVERY AND

DECENCY GOING ON?

WE SHOULD CELEBRATE THESE PEOPLE.

BY THE WAY, WHEN THIS IS OVER, WE BETTER DAMN WELL NOT FORGET

THEM, BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THIS AND THE WAY TRUMP HAS

HANDLED THIS IS WE'RE TAKING THE BLINDERS OFF.

ALL OF A SUDDEN WE REALIZE THERE ARE A LOT OF INCREDIBLE PEOPLE

OUT THERE MAKING SIX, SEVEN BUCKS AN HOUR MAKING SURE WE

CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO EAT, HAVE ELECTRICITY, WE CONTINUE TO BE

ABLE TO HAVE OUR WAY OF, EVEN WHEN WE'RE IN QUARANTINE, THAT

WE'RE ABLE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.

I'M SORRY, BUT I JUST THINK -- THIS FRUSTRATES ME SO MUCH

BECAUSE I'M SO PROUD OF WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE DOING, AND

THE PRESIDENT -- MY IMPRESSION IS HE DOESN'T HAVE A LOT A SENSE

OF EMPATHY.

>> James: BUT YOU DO, AND THAT - DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOU AND THE

CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, BUT EMPATHY, I BELIEVE,

IS AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE, AND THERE WILL BE FAMILIES WATCHING

THIS WHO AREN'T SCARED ABOUT NEXT WEEK, THEY'RE SCARED ABOUT

TOMORROW.

THEY'RE SCARED ABOUT THE DAY AFTER THAT.

>> YEAH IS THAT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM TO CALM THEIR FEARS

NOW?