Many across America are expected to watch President Joe Biden’s interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos Friday night at 8:00 PM, his first TV interview since last week’s damning debate performance, amid calls, largely from the mainstream media, that he pull out of his re-election race.
And while pundits are clamoring Biden must talk to the press more, and appear live and unscripted, his interviews and public appearances including unscripted remarks have largely been ignored by the press, including his unscripted remarks at his Independence Day celebration for veterans at the White House on Thursday (photo above).
President Biden’s first actual interview since the debate, with WURD‘s Andrea Lawful-Sanders, aired on Independence Day (audio below). WURD is Pennsylvania’s only Black-owned radio station.
“In the 14-minute interview, Biden made his case to voters with what the administration considers a series of wins for Black communities: lowering drug costs including insulin, an increase in Black wealth and home ownership, supporting HBCUs, nominating the first Black woman Supreme Court justice and the unprecedented diversity of his cabinet,” WURD reported.
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The Daily Beast, which did cover Biden’s WURD interview, admitted, “the White House is likely to be relieved at the overall performance.”
Asked what he has to say to Americans who “plan on sitting this election out,” President Biden replied, “Same thing that was said to me when I was a young kid getting out of school during the Civil Rights Movement.”
“If you don’t do something about it, you’re to blame.”
Asked if Americans had any reason to bet concerned after his debate performance, Biden told Lawful-Sanders, “No, I had a bad debate. But 90 minutes on stage does not erase what I have done for three-and-a-half years. Proud of the record and we’ve just got to keep moving.”
Biden rattled off many of his accomplishments, which, as Lawful-Sanders noted, “many of us in the general public were not aware of.”
When asked what makes this election so important, President Biden launched into a lengthy set of reasons why he’s running.
“First of all, I’m running against a convicted felon who is said he wants to be a dictator on day one, not a joke. He means it and he’s appointed a Supreme Court that is outrageous in terms of decisions its made, not just on choice but on freedom across the board. They just said that he has immunity and I have immunity, which I reject.”
“This is the most important election because the next president of the United States, by the way, is going to be able to appoint at least two more justices in the four year period. Maybe more. Imagine what that does to the Supreme Court. Trump-appointed justices to the Supreme Court eliminated affirmative action. Gutted voting rights, killed Roe v. Wade, expanded presidential immunity. And the next president is going to have the chance as I said to put one or two more justices on the court.”
“I appointed to Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Black woman, to the court. She’s bright as hell. One of the best appointments ever, and look who Trump appointed.
“I mean, look, states now are in a position where a young girl, 13 years old, is raped, she has to carry that baby to term. It’s amazing in some states.”
“I’ve appointed more Black women to the appellate courts than every other president in history combined, combined. And I made a promise. I made a promise when I ran and I met and I kept it. And that is Andrea, I have an administration that looks like America. We have more African Americans and women in positions of power in my administration, from the Vice President all the way through cabinet than any president had in all of American history. I got to serve with the first Black president, I’ve appointed a Black Vice President.
“Look. What, what’s the thing that people look to? I remember. Anyway, I shouldn’t get too personal,” Biden said, appearing to get emotional.
“President Biden, you can say whatever you want to say,” Lawful-Sanders interjected. “This is your time.”
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“Well, look, you know, imagine what it says to a young girl who is in school having trouble, wondering what she can do, and look up and see a Supreme Court Justice who’s a black woman, or a Black Vice President, or a Secretary in the Cabinet, or a famous political figure?”
“They say, ‘I can do that. I can do that. I can do that. I remember as a Catholic kid growing up in an area where we didn’t like Catholic – didn’t get, I’m the first president who got elected statewide in the state of Delaware as a kid. Well, you know, I was I looked at [President] John Kennedy and said, ‘Well, he got he got elected, why can’t I get elected?'”
“When you say this most important election, it’s about defending democracy. Not embracing political violence.”
Trump “won’t even agree that if he loses the election again, he won’t encourage political violence.”
“He said that if he loses here will be a ‘bloodbath.'”
“Nobody said anything like that ever before.”
Biden went on to discuss Trump’s plans, including tax cuts for corporations, cutting Social Security and Medicare, and putting “a 10% tax on all goods coming into the United States. And all economists point out. They point out that that means that that’s going to be a $2500 tax increase, increase, for the average American…. while he’s cutting taxes for the super wealthy.”
Listen to the full Biden WURD interview below or at this link.
