CNN "State of the Union with Jake Tapper" - Interview with Bernie Sanders

Interview

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Joining me now, former presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders of the great state of Vermont.

Senator Sanders, thanks so much for joining us.

You heard Mark Meadows answering my questions about the U.S. Postal Service and vote by mail. Did he say anything to you -- that reassures you that the election will be free and fair and the way you want it to be conducted?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Before we get to the post office, I'm glad that he thinks that Kamala Harris is eligible to run for president.

And he dismisses it. He said, oh, sure, of course she is. Then why is the president of the United States engaging in a racist, xenophobic attack against her by suggesting she is not eligible? This is what this campaign is about.

Jake, what we are fighting for here is not just the post office that I want to talk about. It's not just whether Trump will succeed in throwing 32 million Americans off the health care they have. It's not just whether workers will continue to get the $600 supplementary checks they desperately need, when their unemployment -- or the $1,200 checks. It's not just climate change.

It is in fact whether we're going to have a pathological liar staying in the White House who lies every single day. I think there have been documented there have been some 20,000 lies that is told that have been documented already.

So, when Meadows says, oh, yes, Kamala Harris, she's eligible to run for president, then maybe you got to talk to the White House of why they tweet out stuff that is terrible and lying.

[09:30:03]

In terms of the post office, I don't have to tell you this...

TAPPER: Yes.

SANDERS: ... because the president of the United States told you a few days ago.

He wants to sabotage the Postal Service because he does not want many millions of people to be able to vote through mail-in ballots. That's not me. That is exactly what he said. And what he is trying to do in many, many ways is defund and destroy the United States Postal Service.

Now, I happen to believe in the Postal Service, an issue I have been involved in for many, many years. But above and beyond the Postal Service, what is most important, whether you're a Democrat, whether a Republican, whether you're a progressive, whether you're a conservative, do you believe in American democracy?

Do you believe that, in the midst of a pandemic, when we have lost 170,000 people already, people have got to put their lives on the line to go into a voting station, or can they vote in through a mail-in ballot?

I would just say this. Tuesday here in my state of Vermont, we had the largest voter turnout for primaries that we have ever had. Most people voted by mail-in ballots. It was not a big deal. It worked very well. That is exactly what we have to do throughout this country if we're going to retain our democracy and the right of people to participate.

TAPPER: Do you think Speaker Pelosi should call the House of Representatives back to get a freestanding bill to fund the post office to the Senate and then to the president?

And do you think that the House of Representatives should be using their oversight role and investigating what exactly is going on in terms of the changes that the postmaster general is making?

SANDERS: The answer to both questions is yes.

Now, as you know, despite what Mr. Meadows may be saying, over three months ago, three months ago, Democrats in the House passed the HEROES bill. And among many other things, it provided $25 billion for the Postal Service. It made sure that workers in this country who are unemployed would continue to receive those $600 supplements, on top of their unemployment benefits that they desperately need.

It would make sure that workers continue to receive $1,200 per person, plus money for children as well.

TAPPER: Yes.

SANDERS: It made sure that, in America today, when families are struggling with hunger, worried that they're not going to be able to feed their kids, worried that they're going to be evicted from their apartments and their homes, Democrats three months ago addressed that.

TAPPER: Yes.

SANDERS: Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Senate, Republican, has not attended one of these negotiating sessions.

Trump could've gotten on the phone and brought everybody into the White House to work on an agreement. He disappeared.

Mr. Meadows, I'm glad he's back at work. He was on vacation last week. We have a crisis now. It's a crisis in democracy.

TAPPER: Yes.

SANDERS: It's a crisis that so many of our (AUDIO GAP) are struggling. Congress has got to act.

And, of course, Pelosi and Mitch McConnell...

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: So, let me ask you, sir, because...

SANDERS: ... back to deal with those issues.

TAPPER: Let's turn to the 2020 race, because, obviously, you ran for president. Your policy disagreements with Joe Biden were front and center during the primary campaign.

You also disagreed with Senator Harris on a number of issues. She ultimately did not support essentially ending private health insurance. She did not back tuition-free college or wiping out student loans the way you have proposed. She did not want to abolish ICE.

You led a huge movement centered around these issues. Are you frustrated that these positions will not be represented on the Democratic ticket? And how do you tell your voters to support a ticket that, in their view, might be more moderate than progressive?

SANDERS: Well, Jake, two things.

Our movement, as I'm sure you know, is doing really quite phenomenally well. All across this country, in New York state and elsewhere, in Missouri, we have elected extremely progressive member -- people who will become members of Congress who are going to stand up and fight for working families and take on the 1 percent and the greed of the corporate elite.

We are electing district attorney candidates all over this country, people to the state legislature. So, our movement has real momentum. And we are doing just fine.

Now, in terms of disagreements with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, yes, of course we do. I ran against Biden.

TAPPER: Yes.

[09:35:00]

SANDERS: And my message -- my message to our supporters is, we have got to do everything that we can...

TAPPER: Yes.

SANDERS: ... to defeat Donald Trump (AUDIO GAP) view as the most dangerous president in American history.

And then what we have to do the day after we elect Joe Biden as president, we've got to rally our people to stand up and fight for an agenda that works for all, and not just a few. And that absolutely includes Medicare for all.

I think most working people understand today that health care...

TAPPER: But your former press secretary -- your former press...

SANDERS: ... must be a human right, not simply a job benefit...

TAPPER: Yes.

SANDERS: ... because, if you lose your job, then you lose your health care. That's crazy. That's not what we want.

TAPPER: Your former press secretary, sir...

SANDERS: And we have got to take on the pharmaceutical industry...

(CROSSTALK)

SANDERS: ... so much higher prices than any other country on Earth, sometimes 10 times more for the medicine that we need.

So, we're going to do everything that we can, A, to elect Biden, and, B, after he's elected, move this country in as progressive a way as we possibly can.

TAPPER: Your former press secretary Briahna Joy Gray tweeted that...

(CHIME SOUNDING)

TAPPER: I think you're getting a phone call.

Your former press secretary Briahna Joy Gray tweeted that nominating Biden and Harris shows -- quote -- "contempt for the base."

And I want to show you this "Wall Street Journal" headline after Kamala Harris was announced as Biden's pick. It says -- quote -- "As Kamala Harris joins Biden ticket..."

SANDERS: Jake, can you hear me?

TAPPER: Yes, I can hear you. I can hear you.

I think someone's calling you, though.

But, in any case, Senator, I wanted to ask you -- it says -- yes, you're getting a phone call.

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: But, in any case, this "Wall Street Journal" headline says, "As Kamala Harris joins Biden ticket, Wall Street sighs in relief."

And Bill Daley, former President Obama's chief of staff, now with Wells Fargo, told "The Wall Street Journal" -- quote -- "I think Harris is a reasonable, rational person who has worked in the system. Is she a progressive? Yes. Is she someone who wants to burn the building down? No. I think she wants to strengthen the building."

If Wall Street breathes a sigh of relief with Kamala Harris being named to the ticket, what does Bernie Sanders do?

SANDERS: Well, Bernie Sanders does everything that he can to defeat Donald Trump, who's undermining American democracy, Donald Trump, who has lied to the American people repeatedly on every issue, Donald Trump, who is not supportive of continuing and maintaining those $600 supplementary checks that workers desperately need, or the $1,200 checks that many working families need, Donald Trump, who wants to throw 32 million people off the health insurance that they have.

Donald Trump, who does not even recognize science in terms of the pandemic or in climate change.

So, what Bernie Sanders is going to do is do everything that I can to defeat Donald Trump, to elect Joe Biden. And after the Democrats have control of the Senate and the House, and Joe is the president, we're going to do all that we can to mobilize people for a progressive agenda.

But this is not a complicated issue. Donald Trump must be defeated. Biden must be elected. And after that election, we're going to do all that we can for a progressive -- to fight for a progressive agenda.

TAPPER: All right, Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont, I think you have an urgent phone call.

I hope everything is OK. Thanks so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

SANDERS: Thank you very much. TAPPER: It did not take long for racist lies and misogynist lies

against Senator Kamala Harris to surface.

Her fellow Senator Cory Booker will join me on that and the president's attacks on him this week.

That's next. Stay with us.

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