NBC News " Meet The Press" - Transcript: Joe Biden In The 2016 Presidential Race
Interview
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DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
Thank you, good morning, Chuck. Great to be with you.
CHUCK TODD:
Let me ask you, is there room for more candidates in the Democratic race, including the sitting vice president?
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
Chuck, let me just say, there will always be room for the sitting vice president if he chose to run for president. But let's remember and take one step back that Vice President Biden has just been through the most heart-wrenching tragedy that a parent could ever experience in the loss of his son Beau, who was a friend of mine. And it was deeply tragic to watch that family go through what they have.
But, you know, as chair of the DNC, I can tell you that throughout the beginnings of the 2016 presidential cycle, as the DNC, we have kept candidates and potential candidates fully informed about what we're doing at the DNC, how we're prepping, what they needed to know potentially. So we've been in communication with both potential and actual candidates throughout this process.
CHUCK TODD:
You're being vague about the potential, you mean Vice President Biden.
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
Well, at every point in this process, each of the candidates, before they announced, was a potential candidate. You know, Vice President Biden has not ever ruled out whether he would eventually run for president. So like any of the other candidates, when they were thinking or in any stage of the process, we've kept his team informed as well as every other candidate both before and since they have decided to join the race.
CHUCK TODD:
What do you make of the rise of Bernie Sanders?
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
You know, I think Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, Lincoln Chafee, Martin O'Malley, any of our candidates when compared to the Republican field, have an appeal because they speak to the issues that are important to the American people. We're talking, as well as our eventual nominee will be, will ultimately be president, because our candidates and our parties stand for helping people reach the middle class, making sure that if you, you know, work hard and play by the rules, that you should have an opportunity to succeed and that you can.
And the Republican field, you know, look, you know, you've got their frontrunner, who has deemed Mexicans rapists, you had a presidential candidate Mike Huckabee this week actually not rule out that he'd used federal troops to stop abortion. Jeb Bush who's said he's phase out Medicare. So the contrast, whether it's Bernie Sanders, Jeb Bush, Donald Trump, Mike Huckabee, Hillary Clinton, any of that contrast between our candidates and theirs is very clear. And the American people eventually choose our nominee as president.
CHUCK TODD:
Now, you were on with one of our panelists this week, you were on with Chris Matthews, and he asked you a question about Bernie Sanders. Let me play you the clip and then get you to respond on the other side.
CHRIS MATTHEWS:
What is the difference between the Democrat and a socialist? I used to think there was a big difference, but what do you think it is?
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
The difference between--
CHRIS MATTHEWS:
--between a Democrat like Hillary Clinton and a socialist like Bernie Sanders.
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
The more important point is what's the difference between being a Democrat and being a Republican.
CHRIS MATTHEWS:
But what's the big difference between a Democrat and a socialist. You're chairman of the Democrat party. Tell me the difference between you and a socialist.
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
The relevant debate that we'll be having over the course of this campaign is what's the difference between a Democrat and a Republican--
CHRIS MATTHEWS:
I think there's a big difference. I think there's--
CHUCK TODD:
Given that Bernie Sanders is an unabashed socialist, and believes in social Democratic governments, likes the ones in Europe, what is the difference? Can you explain the difference?
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
You know, Chuck, it's always fun to be interviewed by Chris Matthews. And I know that he enjoys that banter. The important distinction that I think we're going to be discussing, and I'm confident we'll be discussing in this campaign is the difference between Democrats and Republicans.
The difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Democrats want to make sure that people have an opportunity to climb the ladders of success and reach the middle class, have a good education, have a secure retirement. Look at the Republican field. What they stand for is the extremism that you've seen on full display over the last few weeks.
Which is why Donald Trump is their frontrunner. I mean, Donald Trump is essentially a reflection of where the Republican party is today, limiting a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions, you know, supporting, so shifting to a more privately-focused education system, ending Medicare as we know it. That's the important and relevant contrast as we go through the next 18 months of this presidential election.
CHUCK TODD:
Very quickly, we're only talking about Republicans debating for the next two months. Why aren't we seeing Democrats debate over the next two months?
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
We're going to be having a robust series of debates, and we're just finalizing the last few details. You know, our network and organizational partners, and I'll be announcing our series of debates very soon.
CHUCK TODD:
But we're not going to see them in August or September?
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
We will be announcing our schedule as soon as we get it finalized. We have committed to six debates. And we'll have at least one debate in each of the four early primary states.
CHUCK TODD:
All right. Chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, talking on the Democratic side of the aisle, thanks for coming on this morning.
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:
Thanks for having me, Chuck.
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