CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript Interview with Elizabeth Warren

Interview

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Joining us now to discuss that and more Democratic senator, former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Senator Warren, thank you so much for joining us. So you see, the President of the United States is battling the same virus that has now killed more than 211,000 Americans. But instead of following the CDC guidelines and isolating, he's back in the Oval Office with staff tonight. So what kind of example is the President setting?

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): Well, he's setting the same kind of example he has set from the beginning. He demonstrates both his self- absorption that all he cares about is Donald Trump. And he also demonstrates his incompetence, that they really can't seem to understand the importance of getting this virus under control.

And the only way that's going to happen is if we listen to the scientists, if we follow their guidelines, and if we do our best to keep each other safe, and Donald Trump just doesn't get that. He just cannot seem to think outside the shell of Donald Trump.

BLITZER: The House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has noted in her words that medical doctors say that steroids, in addition to the coronavirus, could have an impact on someone's judgment. She added that she'd leave it up to the doctors to say for certain. What do you make of the President's behavior in the wake of his diagnosis?

WARREN: Look, I don't know. And I leave that up to the doctors. But what I do know is that COVID has killed 211,000 Americans. People are dying by the hundreds every single day. And we need leadership from the White House.

Donald Trump has proven time and again, that he is not only incapable of leading, he is actually putting more Americans at risk. He does it in a very personal way right now, by going into the Oval Office, by exposing people, by walking through hallways.

And he does it by example. In effect, saying to millions of people across this country, what was it? Don't let COVID dominate you? Are you kidding me? This is a potentially fatal virus, you know?

And that's why it is that November 3 is so important. Why it is so important to have Joe Biden in the White House, to have a leader who cares and a leader who is confident.

BLITZER: More than 700 Americans, by the way, died just yesterday, in one day.

The President tweeted yesterday he was ending the stimulus negotiations with the Democrats up on Capitol Hill. But before walking that back a few hours later in signaling, maybe he is open to some talks.

If you're one of the millions of Americans right now, who were in desperate, desperate need of federal assistance, where does that leave you?

WARREN: And it leaves you out in the cold. That's where Donald Trump and the Republicans have put him put them.

People need help. People are dying, people are out of work. People are not going to be able to make their rent payments or their mortgage payments. People are facing losing their jobs and losing their health insurance.

And all Donald Trump can focus on at this point is stealing another Supreme Court seat so that they will be able to take away health care from 10s of millions of people in the middle of a pandemic. This is wrong. So many different ways. And this is why it November 3 is so important and getting Donald Trump out and getting Joe Biden in is so important.

BLITZER: Let's turn senator to tonight's highly anticipated vice presidential debate. The former Republican Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin who has been helping a Vice President Pence prepare for the debate. He told Fox that Pence plans to paint Senator Kamala Harris as part of the radical left.

If Senator Harris defends against those attacks by let's say, distancing yourself from two signature progressive policies, Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, what message will that send to progressives in your party who Biden and Harris clearly will lead big time in order to win this election?

WARREN: Oh, please. Kamala is going to talk about how Republicans are trying to take away health care coverage from millions of Americans in the middle of a pandemic. And if she talks about that over and over and over during the debate tonight, the 10s of millions, hundreds of millions of people in this country who say that they want people to be able to keep their healthcare coverage, that they want to expand health care coverage for Americans, they know who they need to vote for in November.

[17:25:10]

You know, if you had to pick a single issue that divides the Republicans from the Democrats more clearly it's healthcare, because on the one hand what the Republicans are trying to do right now is they are in court. They're going to be in the United States Supreme Court in November, trying to get the Affordable Care Act overturned, trying to take away health care from people, trying to let insurance companies discriminate against people with preexisting conditions.

What the Democrats are for is expanded health care coverage. That's what we get out there and fight for. We believe that health care is a basic human right. And we want Americans to have health care coverage, and we are willing to work toward that end. And to me that's what this 2020 election is about just in a nutshell.

BLITZER: You're you make an important point, because the Supreme Court will hear those arguments for and against the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare on November 10. Exactly one week after the election. This is going to be a huge, huge issue.

Senator Warren, thank you so much for joining us.

WARREN: Thank you. Good to see you.

BLITZER: Thank you.

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