The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - Joe Biden on America's Policing Problem, Running Against Trump & Fighting Voter Suppression

Episode Date: January 19, 2021

Former Vice President Joe Biden discusses police reform, facing off against President Trump in the 2020 election and his plan to ensure a fair voting process. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts. Mr. Vice President, welcome to the Daily Social Distancing Show.

It's good to be with you, and it's a big distance now. It definitely is a big distance. You, you have been making news over the past few weeks, responding to what's happening in America, responding to what can easily be described as one of the most tumultuous times in not just American but world history. I want to talk a little bit about the op-ed that you put out today. Talk me through how you would plan to undo systemic racism and how you the the the the to the the to the the to. the to. the the the the the thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thiwea, thiwea, thi, thiwaugheateateate, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, thiwea. thiwea. thiwea. thiwea. thiwea. thiwea. thiwea. thiwea. thiwea, thiwea, thiwea, thi. the, the, thi. the, thi. thi. thi. thi. t t t toda. toda. toda. toda. toda. toda. today, today, today, today would plan to undo systemic racism and how you think you'll address the needs of the African American community.

Well, first of all, it's going to take time. You know, Donald Trump didn't invent racism, but he sure has promoted it. And it's systemic has been real. The disparities in the country, especially in the economy right now. The combination, there's just an awful combination. COVID-19, unemployment, systemic racism, and what's happening in terms of the way in which the George Floyd's death took place. I mean, you know, I think about it when I was a kid, what really changed and sparked

the civil rights movement as a kid, that I was just involved in it, no great shake, just a high school college student, was that television was around. And television came along when they saw what Bull Connor was doing in Birmingham, Alabama. People went, whoa, I didn't know that really happened in America. Right. And then, now today, everybody, not only should cops be wearing body cams, everybody has a body cam. Everybody has a cell phone. And can you, if the last words of George Floyd, I can't breathe, they would have been consequential,

but if they're not seeing him take his last breath, none of this would have been nearly as consequential, because people are now saying, my God, did you see that? That's one of those inflection points. It really does feel like an inflection point and it is a difficult one for many Americans to navigate because most Americans agree that there is a problem in policing between police and the black community and even many poor white communities. This is something that we know when we look at interactions between the police and American people. You have come out in favor of police reform, you know?

But what does that actually mean? Because some people think that you cannot reform an institution that is fundamentally rotten in the core? Well, I don't think it's rotten in the core, and I don't think all cops are bad cops. But I think what look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, look, 90, 90, look, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90 percent, 90 percent, 90 percent, 90 percent, th, thi, 90 percent, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th. th. th. th. th. th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, and, and, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi, thi, don't think it's rotten in the core and I don't think all cops are bad cops, but I think what look 90% of all the funding for place comes from local taxpayers So the federal government under our system cannot other than taking a civil rights action say they do a B C and D But what we can do is we can make sure that we insist on certain fundamental changes take place now including giving making sure their sensitivity training making sure that? th th th th th th th that that th that that th that th that th that th th th that th. th. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their thi thi thi ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta tatake place now, including giving, making sure they're sensitivity training, making sure that all of cops' past grievances, excuse me, transgressions are all made public, because we can say if you don't, we are not

going to provide the federal funding that we provide for you through what they call burn grants and cop grants. And so we can, I through what they call burn grants and cop grants. And so we can, I think, now impact on significantly the desire of many police departments as well to fundamentally change the way they police. You know, many activists and organizers have come out saying there have been repeated attempts to reform many police departments. Were it not for civilian cameras, we wouldn't know the truth oftentimes. I mean, we've seen three instances in the past few weeks of major police departments

being contradicted by video evidence that comes out. So, some would say to you, Mr. Vice President, if you were to become president, do you think that there would be a world where defunding the police would be the solution and getting some of these responsibilities away from police forces. You know, police in schools, police handling mental illness, police handling homelessness, etc. Well I think there are a lot of changes. They can take place, period, without having to defund police completely.

Here's what I think's happened. You have well over 80% of the American people going, whoa, I didn't know this. I didn't know this was happening. I don't believe peace should be defunded, but I think the conditions should be placed upon them or departments who are having to take significant reforms relating to the, we should set up a national use of force standard. If they don't sign onto it, then in fact, they don't get any of the federal money. In addition, that they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have they have their their their their their their their their their their their their, their, their, their, their, their peace their peace their peace their peace their peace their peace. their peace, their peace, their peace, their, their peace, their, their, their peace, their peace, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, the. Wea. thea. Wea. Wea. tea. tea. Wea. tea. tea. thea. thea. their, their, their fact they don't get any of the federal money. In addition, that they have to demonstrate that they release all the data that relates to misconduct by police. That all has to be sent to the Justice Department.

If they don't send it to the Justice Department nationally, they don't get funding. But as it relates to, for example, mental illness and homelessness and drug abuse and the like. Many changes we can make, but the I, for example, my daughter is a social worker, she says their masses and social work, the idea that she's going to respond by herself to a 911 call that says that someone is overdosing or someone as a mental problem and they're acting out, the idea that going by themselves is not rational to expect. Conversely, the idea that going by themselves is not rational to expect. Conversely, the cops shouldn't go alone.

The cops should go with people who are mental health experts. Do you not think though there's an opportunity to have somebody that's not a policeman? Because you know the old adage, if you are a hammer, then everything is a nail. And so, you not think there's an opportunity to have people who are not even police in these environments who are trained and specialized. I mean, at mental institutions, for instance, you know, it's not police who are helping these people. It's people who are trained in diffusing these situations.

No, what they are, though, they also use force in those mental institutions. When someone's out of hand, they put them in a circumstance where they have big guys come in and hold somebody down. It's not just someone walking in and saying, look, here you've got to calm down. Now I know how to deal with you. This is what it's not that simple. But that should be the objective. So we should put the police second in those circumstances and not first. For example, we should change the way in which we deal with all drug abuse. Nobody should be going to jail for the use of drugs. They should be going to mandatory rehabilitation. We should be building rehab centers, not more prisons.

You know, building trust between law enforcement and communities is, and an increased safety, is to invest in funding of community policing. When we were funding community policing, the crime rate went down and the visibility and the extent of brutality went down too because people know who's in the community. But it's much bigger than that. It's complicated. But I think we should turn over as much as we can to non-armed police officers to de-escalate,

thiiolate things related in mental illness, homelessness, and drug abuse. One of the areas that almost everybody synonymously agrees on is that police unions have shown themselves to be extremely strong and oftentimes have contracts that provide impunity for the police. You know, it is hard to get the bad apples out of police departments. I mean, just in the case of George Floyd, you had a police officer where, just from the record that people could get access to, you saw somewhere around 20 previous grievances against the police officer.

So what is your plan to try and get police unions to sign on? And if they don't, is there a plan to remove some of their power or to deal with them differently differently differently differently differently differently differently differently differently differently differently differently differently differently differently differently them, don't, is there a plan to remove some of their power or to deal with them differently? The plan would be that their departments don't get funded if they don't do the things that have to change. For example, there are bad cops, they're bad senators, there are bad docks, they're bad lawyers, they're bad, and they're all very poor policing themselves, every one of these institutions and organizations. So you got to say, here's the deal. When a police officer has tried with a violent crime or tried with violating the law,

they should not be tried by the local prosecutor. That's to be a prosecutor that doesn't handle their cases. We're going to make that a law, so there's more distance between the two. Making sure that cops can be fired the. Cops can be fired when in fact you can make the case and bring a case that indicates they have violated the law, they have violated common decency. And when that happens, you're going to see police departments changing and police unions changing.

And by the way, not all unions are taking the same positions. Some unions are much more forward leaning than other unions are. But the fact of the matter is, there there there there there there there there there the the the the the the the th th th th th th th taking the same positions. Some unions are much more forward leaning than other unions are. But the fact of the matter is there has to be a fundamental change. You've got to be able to root out bad cops. And the good cops, the majority of whom are, know how it makes them all look. They look bad. It makes everyone look bad. So I think you're going to see a lot more movement in terms of police unions as well. But if it, their their their their their their they they they they they's they's they's they's they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're their th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. their their thi. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. their their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. the. the. the. te. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the.'re going to see a lot more movement in terms of police unions as well. But if it's not, they're going to have to obey the law as written. We're going to change the way in which we hold police departments accountable. One of the major things you would have to do in order to create all of this change is win an election.

Yes. That's true. I think it's safe to say that America is expecting a really dirty election. We know how Donald Trump plays in an election. We've seen it up against Hillary Clinton in 2016. You know that he holds no punches. You know that he will punch below the belt. You've often said that you plan to be the president who brings America back together, but how does that play into to be the president who brings America back together, but how does

that play into the way you'll run your campaign? Well first of all, you know, when the Carney show comes through town the first time, everybody finds out there's no pee under any one of the three shelves. Well next time it comes around, people have a little different view. The thing we're doing is calling out every lie he in fact is saying. We're calling out and making a case that this guy is not a good guy. This is what he has done. What's happening is the American public overwhelmingly now, if you notice, two-thirds of

the American public thinks that the people who want to, who are protesting are the people who are right and not the president. The president has been wrong. And so there's a lot this changed, a lot this changed, but it's going to be hard and he's going to get very personal and say things about me, my family, my children, everything, that are simply not true, but the good news is the bad news. The good news is the people know me and they know me. And so he's not to be to be to be to be to be to be to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able the the the to be able to be able the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their their their their their their their their thoea.a. thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooanan.a. thea. thean. thia. thia. thi. the. the is the people know me and they know me warts and all. The bad news is they know me. And so he's not going to be able to make things stick that aren't already real weaknesses on my part. And I have weaknesses for real.

What do you think some of those weaknesses are? Well I'm not going to advertise, no, but one of the weaknesses are because I always say what I think. No one ever has the thia is is is I say. Sometimes I say all that I mean. And that gets me in trouble. And sometimes it does. And I get it. And my old stuttering days is the case that they come back and I find myself to talk, you know, talking like that.

And so, you know, I sometimes make political gaps. But you know that little expression. A gaff in Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington was was Washington Washington was was was a Washington, the thaaaaaaaa. tha, tha, tha, thiia, thia, no thiole, no thiole, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that that that that, that that that that that thiiole, thiole, thiole, thiole, thiole, thiole, thiole, thi. that that that that that that that that that that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's gaff in Washington is a politician telling the truth. The America's place in the world has been damaged significantly. The next president is going to inherit a world in disarray. Number one. Number two, at home, we are a divided nation in a consequential way. I've spent my whole career, and the one thing people give me credit and blame for is bringing both sides together,

coming up with principal compromise. And so the two things, the reason I'm running, both those issues tend to be in my wheelhouse. Doesn't mean I'm going to get them right. I'm going to make mistakes. But the point is I take responsibility for the mistakes. Let me then ask you this. How do you plan, as Joe Biden, to speak to those voters who might say, you know what, I'm

not a fan of Trump, but I love what he has done for the economy, and I may be economically better off because of him? How do you plan to win those people over? Well, there's not nearly as many of those people as everybody thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thinks thiiops thiops thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. toe. toe. to be to be to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be of those people as everybody thinks. If you take a look, middle class people and people with an hourly wages and middle class folks, you have over 50% of them six months ago in a poll saying they don't think that their children are ever going to have the same standard living they have. He has really damaged the economy for hardworking and middle class people. That's why I said the second reason I'm running is restore the backbone of this country. Hard work and middle class people. The president has to be part of the solution, not the problem.

Ordinary people are getting crushed. And guess what? If you are Latino or you're African American, you are really getting crushed. The unemployment rate among black youth is up in a 36, 37 percent range, even higher for Latinos. Everybody's beginning to understand the way we treat people is simply not right. As president, would you then continue being the Biden who's not afraid to tell it like it is and address those issues specifically within those communities? Because oftentimes it feels like

politicians run on these ideas but then when they get into power they say oh we're gonna fix things for everybody th for th for th th for th for th th th th th th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the the the th. thi. the the the the the th. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the... the the. the. the.... the. the.................. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. thi. the. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. th. the run on these ideas, but then when they get into power, they say, oh, we're going to fix things for everybody. But the truth is, America has a legacy of oppressing certain people, specifically black people, and it feels like those issues and those areas need to be addressed in a very specific way, as as opposed to in a general way. Yes, I am. Yes, and I thiiiiiiiiiiiiaaa th make some of the backlash that comes with it. By the way, yes, and I tell you what, one of the things I've done and I've been known for in my state is I not only, I don't address those issues just to the African American community. I go to the business community and make the case to the business community. I think people, you've got to make the case to the people people, the people, the people, thap, the people, the people, the people, the people, th, the people, tho, the people, tho, tho, tho, the people, tho, tho, thr, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, the, the, the, the, these things and say, tell me, are you going to be better off?

And I'm confident, I'm confident that you have at least 20% of that population. That is the folks who are in the upper income brackets going, well, yeah, you know, I guess I'm a little better off if there's more peace and security. We tend to be unwilling wunwili unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling unwilling the the be unwilling to make the case to the people who historically have said, okay, look, this is all about mine not paying taxes. You can't build a wall high enough around your home. You keep pollution out.

You can't build a wall high enough around your home to keep peace in the neighborhood. You can't build a wall high enough around your home to see to it that you have a safe place to move around the country. I mean, it's just, and I think we've got to make the case to the very people who say they're opposed. And the last point I'll make is, you know, the people who voted for Trump out of frustration, their people I've trown, the people who's...their neck. They're the neighborhoods I come from. That's right. Come from in Scrant in Pennsylvania and Claimant Delaware. The people I grew up with. In fact, they in fact understand. And I think they know me. That's why I think the polling

data is demonstrating that they know I will do what I say and respect them. You may have respect and you may have people coming out in many places to vote for you. But as we saw in Georgia just yesterday, if those people's votes aren't counted and if those people don't get the opportunity to vote, then your entire campaign may be moot. So what is the plan up until November to make sure that people can vote, to make sure that everyone, whether it's Republican or Democrat, black or white, has the opportunity to vote without being in a line that's six hours long. It's my greatest concern, my single greatest concern.

This president is going to try to steal this election. This is a guy who said that all mail-in ballots are fraudulent, voting by mail. While he sits behind the desk in Oval Office and writes his mail-in ballot to vote in the primary. This is a guy you have 23 I believe in his states have passed over over 82 pieces of legislation making it harder for people to vote. Harder. That's why we're putting together a major initiative of lawyers to go out and make sure that we're in every single district in the country to patrol this.

We need, if I'm president, and this is what their worries, if I'm president, we're going to have same-day registration. The report was in Pennsylvania, there are still counting votes. We may not know, quote, this is the sort of implicit threat. We might not know who won Pennsylvania in a general election until a month after the election. Wow. What do you think that this is about with Trump? This is a major. Do you worry? Then let me let me ask you this and I know this is a strange question to ask an American politician maybe easier around the world. But have you ever considered what would happen if the election result came out as you being the winner and Trump refused to leave?

Yes, I have. And I was so damn proud. You have four chiefs of staff coming out and ripping the skin off of Trump. And you have so many rank and file military personnel saying, whoa, we're not a military state. This is not who we are. I promise you, I'm absolutely convinced they will escort him from the White House and with great dispatch. There are many people who have taken to the streets now.

There are many black people, but there are many white people marching with them. There are many young people who say, we need a revolution, we need to see a change in this country. I know as Joe Biden you've often pitched just pitched yourself as the person who is going to bring the people together and the person who's going to transform things as opposed to just a revolution. What is your pitch to them? What is your pitch to that to that Bernie Vosa? What is your pitch to that voter who says, Joe Biden, I'm crushed by college debt, I need to see the world world world world world world world world world world....... to to to to to to to to to to to thapapapape, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, to be, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the, the, the, the, the, the people, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, thi, thr.e.e.e.ean, toe.e.ean, toe.e.e.e.e.e.e.e. toe. toe. thiii, throwne, thi,the world change. I haven't seen enough change, and I don't understand why I should vote for you. When announced, all of a sudden, I was the frontrunner.

And the expectation was, Joe Biden, former vice president, feels like he's entitled. He's the frontrunner. Let's take him down. And so we spent a better part of a year with a target on my back. And now it worked out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out th and people thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the thi thi thi thi thi thi. thi. the the thi. thi. tho tho the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. to to to to to to to to to the. to to to the too too too too too too to to to to had actually people say to me, I didn't know that was your position in the environment. I didn't know you were the guy that wrote the first climate change bill back in 1986. I didn't know, etc. I didn't know, etc. I didn't know you were the guy that took on apartheid. I didn't know you were the guy that did that. I didn't know. Well, you know, so so things things things things th so, so, so, so things th so, so, so, so things th, so things th th th th th th th th th th th th th that th that th that th that th that th that th that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that was that was that was that was that was that was that was that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the that that that that that that that the that the the. th realizing and I have changed. I have changed. I believe

there has to be more debt forgiveness for college loans. I think there has to be more opportunity to go to college for free, for free. But we have to change corporate policy too. And the tax cut, imagine just concluding, I know you've got to go, but imagine if we had that $2 trillion tax cut and we hadn't wasted it on the wealth. the wealth. the wealth. the wealth. the wealth. the wealth. the wealth. the wealth. the wealth. the wealth the the the the the the the the the to the to to to to to the to to to get to get to get to get to get to get to get to get the. to get to get to get to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to get. to to to you've got to go, but imagine if we had that $2 trillion tax cut and we hadn't wasted it on the wealthy that generated virtually no growth at all, no growth at all, according to most of the conservative think tax. Imagine if we had that $2 trillion back when we were calling for it and say, we're going to use that to educate people. We're going to use that to reduce student debt. We're wea, we we we we're th, we'd th, we'd th, we'd th, we'd th, we'd th, we'd th, we'd their, we'd their, we'd their, we'd th. We'd th. We'd thi, we'd thi, we'd thi, we'd thi, we'd thi, we'd thi, we're, we're, we're, th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. toda, toda, toda, today, today, thi. thi. th that to educate people. We're gonna use that to reduce student debt. We're gonna, we'd be a different country. Leadership matters.

Leadership matters. My final question to you pertains to the race. You've been really tight-lipped and you've played your cards close to your chest about who your running mate could be. People have thrown out names, Stacey, Elizabeth, Kamela Harris, you know, Elizabeth Warren, etc. I have a pitch for you. Last time you teamed up with someone who was half-African, half-white, and things went very well for you, Mr. Vice President.

And I've looked at my contract and I've seen that nothing stops me from being vice president of the United States. Were you born in America? I don't think that's an issue, to be honest, for vice president. It is, unfortunately. Otherwise, I'd be asking you. Otherwise, I'll be asking you. Mr. President, thank you so much for your time today. You make a look at it on. of your journey and please pass my regards to the Dr. Biden. I will and thank you very much for having me. I hope you'll have me on again.

The Daily Show with CoverNoa, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11th, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to the daily show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change.

Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17. This has been a Comedy Central Podcast.