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Big Ten Conference Postpones Football Season; Biden Set to Announce Vice Presidential Pick. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired August 11, 2020 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:00:25]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Here we go. I'm Brooke Baldwin. You are watching CNN. Thank you so much for being with me.

Breaking news in the 2020 race. After weeks and weeks of speculation, the former Vice President Joe Biden has made it official, telling top advisers that he has selected the woman he thinks will help him win the White House come November. And he is set to reveal her name as early as today.

Of course, we're closely monitoring all these developments. We have got correspondents making source phone calls, trying to get to the bottom of who this might be.

CNN political correspondent Arlette Saenz is on the trail in Biden's hometown.

So, Arlette, let me begin with you. What do you know?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, as our colleague Jeff Zeleny reported, Joe Biden has made his decision about the woman who will join him on the Democratic ticket, and he has told his advisers who will that will be, and an announcement could come as soon as today.

We're still waiting to find out exactly who that woman is. But this will ultimately cap off a months-long process, where Biden has been searching for his running mate. These women who are under consideration went through intensive vetting interviews with his search committee, as well as interviews with the former vice president.

And the list had about initially 11 women to begin with, and it's been narrowed down over the course of the past few months, Biden last week saying that he had narrowed down that list and would be letting people know shortly who his vice presidential nominee will be.

But some of the women who are considered to be serious contenders in this process, starting with Kamala Harris -- she's a senator from California, probably one of the most well-known women in this mix of women who are being considered -- you know, she ran against Joe Biden during the Democratic primary. So he's seen her up close on the campaign trail.

There's also former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, who worked alongside Joe Biden in the Obama administration, probably the person on this list who has had the most intensive a working relationship existing with the former vice president.

There's also Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who recently traveled from Michigan to Delaware to meet with the former vice president to talk about the running mate's job. There are also a few other women who are considered to be in the mix.

But, really, this process has been incredibly secretive. Other than that meeting with Whitmer, we don't know exactly who Biden met with in person vs. having conversations with over the phone.

Now, the Biden campaign has said that they will be unveiling this first to their supporters. They have been encouraging people to sign up for text messages to get the alert when he has chosen his running mate. So, potentially, that could be coming soon.

We also know that Biden will be holding a grassroots virtual fund- raiser with the woman he has selected as his vice presidential pick. So, we're going to see if that could potentially all take place today, as that announcement could come as soon as today -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Speaking of it being a secret, I was reading a quote from the former Senator Barbara Boxer this morning.

She said -- quote -- "This is like the best kept secret in the universe."

Arlette, thank you. We will pop you back on TV the second you hear anything.

Let me bring in CNN political director David Chalian.

And, David, you know, talk -- help us understand what exactly and who exactly the former vice president is looking for, right, because isn't it a combination of someone he is extraordinarily comfortable with, but also someone who will help him win?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, and help him govern.

He said, to your point about the comfort level, Brooke, he's looking for someone that he's simpatico with. That's the word that he used, but looking for someone that he can work with every single day that could take over in a moment's notice, and that can be a real governing partner, form the kind of relationship that he was able to form with Barack Obama when he served in this role.

That is one component of it. But there's no doubt there are political calculations of the next 84 days or whatever we have left here, in terms of, who does he think putting on the ticket positions him even to a better and stronger place than he is now against Donald Trump for victory in November? So that is clearly a consideration as well. Obviously, I think many of these women can fit the bill. They're of that kind of characterization. So a lot of this is also just going to come down to those interviews, that in-person interaction, a real gut feeling that Joe Biden has about the person that hits on all of those things in the best possible way.

[15:05:01]

That's what this whole search has been about for the last several months.

BALDWIN: David, stand by.

Let me bring in M.J. Lee, our CNN political correspondent.

And, M.J., what are you hearing?

M.J. LEE, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, I think David makes some really important points about what Joe Biden himself has said about the selection process, and really wanting to find a partner he can work with every single day, that he can have a good relationship with.

I think something we should not understate is also needing somebody who can handle this historic moment that we are living in. The vice president, of course, is always the person who is just a heartbeat away from the presidency.

That rule is so incredibly important and powerful, but it takes on new meaning when you think about the fact that we are in the midst of a global public health crisis. The country is in the middle of a pandemic. There doesn't seem to be a national plan for how to deal with it.

And then the economic recession is the other piece of it, right? We have thousands, millions of people in this country who are going to be dealing with for years to come the economic recession that we are living through right now because of COVID-19.

So, the person he chooses is going to have to be qualified, of course, but will have to sort of complement Joe Biden, at least from his perspective, in how that person can sort of best complement Biden as he works through years of really hard work to try to bring the country back.

So I think all of these things are going to be important. And I, of course, shouldn't forget to mention the fact that the question of whether he is going to choose a person of color, a black woman, that has been looming over this entire search process. We have known for months, because Biden himself told us on the debate stage that he intends to choose a woman.

So that has not been a question. So maybe the biggest question in terms of what the -- what kind of person he will choose is whether he is going to choose a woman and make history in that sense too -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Women he's potentially been vetting on the list, Asian American women, Latino women, African-American women.

M.J., hang with me.

Van Jones, let me bring you in on this point, our CNN political commentator.

You and I had a conversation, a long conversation about race for CNN.com a couple of weeks ago. And so as I'm listening to M.J. talking about, of course, someone who could help govern during a pandemic, during this fatal virus, I'm also, of course, thinking of the virus that is racism.

I'm thinking about the national outcry in the wake of George Floyd's killing over the summer and this national outcry and calls certainly coming into Joe Biden, please, Mr. Vice President, will you pick a black woman?

Why is that so important?

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, it's important for a couple of reasons.

First of all, this party relies uniquely on the black female vote. We are expecting 98, 99 percent black female support for whoever the nominee is. And that's been true for a while.

So, you -- if there's a group of people you expect to save the party, but not lead the party, that doesn't make any sense. But, also, beyond just the fairness question, there's a talent question. You have got an incredible bank of black women, from Susan Rice to Karen Bass to Kamala Harris, who would be good both politically on the trail, but also be great governing partners.

And then, lastly, you got to be able to have some kind of excitement factor here. The last ticket, I think everybody said, listen, Trump is down in the polls in the summer, Hillary's doing super great, we can -- we don't have to worry about who the V.P. is going to be. Let's make a good safe governing choice.

You have also got to make a campaigning choice. And I think that any of those three African-American women bring a lot to the stump. And so this -- if you're ever going to have a year where a black woman gets a shot, when you have the kind of awareness that you have got, the kind of talent that you have got and the political need that you have got to inject some energy here, this would be the year to do it. This would be a year to do it.

BALDWIN: David Chalian, I want you to jump in on all of this as well, and especially the importance, the call, the need, of all years, to select a black woman as his running mate.

CHALIAN: I mean, this has been a part of the process, right, this public pressure campaign, if you will, on Joe Biden, that there are many inside the Democratic Party who see that as a really important part of this process, that it is the moment in time for this, and not only just because of the new sort of demographics in America and the party overall, Brooke, but because, in the aftermath of George Floyd's killing, we have seen this reignited quest for racial justice in the country.

And there are many Democrats inside the party that have been communicating to the Biden campaign that they think that speaks to a moment in time that the vice presidential selection, the running mate, could be a marker in that moment of time as well.

[15:10:03]

BALDWIN: What about -- M.J., let me head back over to you.

As we're -- obviously, we're waiting. Let me remind everyone, if you're tuning in, we're getting word that the former Vice President Joe Biden has selected who will be his running mate. It's just a matter of who and when we get the news.

And, M.J., I'm just wondering from you, from all of these just extraordinary women, each woman also has her own baggage, so to speak. So, if you are team Biden, how do you sort through it all?

LEE: Well, here's the thing.

When you speak to Biden allies and people who are close to the campaign, people who are senior on his campaign, they will acknowledge and have acknowledged for some weeks now that they know where they stand right now politically. They know what the polling shows them about where Joe Biden stands compared to Donald Trump.

They acknowledge that Donald Trump is in trouble. This has been coming consistent for a while now, particularly since after the coronavirus pandemic really took hold in this country.

Having said that, I think there's sort of a balancing act here, because, while -- if you're up in the polls and you feel pretty good heading into the fall, it does give the nominee some flexibility, some freedom to say to yourself, you know what? don't need to necessarily base my decision entirely on a political calculation or choosing somebody who will necessarily give me an electoral advantage.

Maybe I can be a little bit freed up to go with the person that I am more comfortable with, even if that person couldn't necessarily deliver me an important swing state.

If you feel like you're already pretty -- doing pretty well in certain swing states, and you don't really need that political boost, maybe you don't need to go with the person who in past years might have been seen as giving you the most sort of raw political advantage.

Now, having said that, this is a campaign, as you know, most campaigns are at this process, that is not going to take anything for granted. As David was saying earlier, they're certainly going to want somebody who is going to be a force multiplier for Joe Biden. And a part of that just has to do with, I think, raw charisma. Is this

somebody who can really shine a spotlight on Joe Biden, and take his message to the rest of the country in a compelling way?

And I should note, that is a particular challenge in the era of COVID, because we are not doing in-person campaign events. We don't even know if there will be a lot of joint events in-person with Joe Biden and the future running mate in the future, because, logistically, that has just become so incredibly difficult.

BALDWIN: No, and so that woman really needs to break through, to punch through and reach out and energize as many voters as possible.

M.J., excellent point. Hang tight for me as well.

Gloria Borger, I hear you now have a microphone on. Let's get you involved in this big conversation, our CNN chief political analyst.

You know all of these top women who he's considering. What say you?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I think that, from my sources in the campaign who are familiar with the process, the biggest thing for Joe Biden is first do no harm at this point.

And he truly has, as he said publicly, looked at all of these women, and thinks a lot of them would be terrific. But he was vice president, and he believes, A, he was a great vice president, and he believes, B, he had a terrific relationship with the commander in chief.

And I think that's what he's looking for, first and foremost, a comfort level, do no harm, a comfort level, and somebody who is loyal above all else, because that is what he was for Barack Obama. He disagreed with him on a lot of things.

But when the president made a decision, he saluted, and that was it, and somebody who can govern alongside him. I know that sounds a little bit like a cliche, but it happens to be true. He wants a governing partner, as he was with Obama, whether it was on the Recovery Act or foreign policy.

So he's looking for someone not necessarily with that experience, but somebody who can grow into that role.

One more thing I would say is that, while he knows a lot of these women, he's not great friends with any of them. He campaigned against them, so he knows them pretty well. But it's not like he served in the Senate for a long time with them. I'm not sure he has real social relationships with any of them.

So, as my buddy David Axelrod likes to say, this is a shotgun marriage.

(LAUGHTER)

BORGER: And so you kind of have to feel your way. And Biden believes that he's got a good intuition when it comes to this kind of stuff. But it is so, so tough to figure out who you can work alongside with and trust every single day and who will help your campaign and not harm it.

[15:15:10]

BALDWIN: And, to your point, he knows when it can work and he knows when it can feel really good. And being simpatico with your partner, as the commander in chief, he knows all of that.

So, obviously, the bar is high, as it should be.

BORGER: Sure.

BALDWIN: Gloria, thank you.

Everyone, stand by.

Again, we are waiting for word, as we now officially have it that Joe Biden has selected his running mate.

Meantime, millions of Americans now facing hunger and eviction, as relief runs out, and negotiations over a new stimulus bill collapse. What will it take for our elected officials to put their differences aside and reach a deal for the American people? We will talk to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming that Russia has created the world's first coronavirus vaccine, adding that it was tested on his own daughter. But the experts have some serious concerns.

And breaking news on college football, the Big Ten just announcing it is delaying the 2020 season.

You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. We will be right back.

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[15:20:28]

BALDWIN: We're back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Breaking news in the 2020 race. After weeks of speculation, Joe Biden has made it official, telling his top advisers that he is selected the woman he believes will help him win the White House this November. And he is set to reveal her name as early as today. So, stand by for that.

More breaking news coming into us at CNN, we are now learning that the Big Ten, one of the largest college conferences, has decided to postpone its fall season.

So, joining me now, CNN sports anchor Andy Scholes.

Randy, this is huge, huge, huge. What all went into this decision?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, Brooke, the Big Ten presidents, they got together again for another meeting this morning. And this was after so much momentum over the weekend that they were

going to postpone their fall sports schedule. But they got so much pushback from head coaches in the league, other conference commissioners, the players, all saying they wanted to play this fall.

But, still, they had this meeting earlier this morning, and voted to postpone fall sports.

And I will read you what Commissioner Kevin Warren of the Big Ten, what he said in part in the statement they put out.

He said: "After discussions with their Big Ten Task Force for Emergence Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee, it became abundantly clear that there was too much uncertainty regarding potential medical risks to allow our student athletes to compete this fall."

Now, Brooke, it's very interesting that the Big Ten says that, because you have the SEC and other conferences saying their medical experts say it's fine to continue to try to play football right now.

It will be very interesting to see if the Big Ten is the first domino to fall. The PAC 12 also is holding meetings amongst their leaders today. Will they follow what the Big Ten did with this decision, or will they try to play? We will have to wait and see.

BALDWIN: Well, what do you think about that? I mean, as you -- Big Ten is giant, and it does make you wonder, despite maybe what other medical experts are telling other conferences, it's like, if you find out that the Big Ten is out, if you're another conference, larger, smaller, wouldn't you be thinking, maybe I should do the same?

SCHOLES: Well, it's so interesting right now, Brooke.

I mean, in the South, SEC country, ACC country, Big 12, they're proceeding as normal right now. Teams are practicing. They're out there on the field getting ready for the season, whereas the Big Ten made this decision, and the PAC 12 is considering the same decision.

You have got the Mountain West Conference, the Mid-American Conference have already postponed their seasons. So, it's very interesting how you have portions of the country making their decisions, and you have other portions not making the call right now.

But, when you think about it, what does this come down to? Is it really student player -- or player-student safety? Because students are still going back to schools, living in the dorms going to the library, but they're not going to be allowed to play football.

Or is it -- is it about safety or is about liability? That's the big question.

BALDWIN: I got you. I got you.

All right, Andy Scholes, thank you so much. I want to bring in Martin Savidge, Who is also on this.

And, Martin, what are you hearing?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think one of the questions that you just heard being answered there is, what are the other conferences going to do here?

Postponing it until spring for the Big Ten, of course, is huge, the economic impact and then the impact on school scholarship programs. It goes on and on and on, right down to the mom-and-pop operations that every weekend who are counting on the big crowds which show up, especially those at the restaurants and the small bookstores and those that sell the merchandise.

But -- so now as we look at, what is the SEC going to do this? That's obviously big down here in the whole Atlanta and the Southeast. And then you look at maybe the PAC 12. And the interesting thing about those two conferences is, they are, in many cases, colleges and universities that are in red states.

And that issue has been brought up in some of these discussions, that, of course, there, the belief is not so strong as to how potent is COVID, how problematic is it? And there tends to be a more optimistic outlook that you can continue, sport could continue, education.

And, thereby, those conferences had thought about maybe peeling off and conducting, eventually, maybe their own kind of competitions. This really is as divisive in sports as it is in the public forum of politics here.

And you're waiting for these other conferences to come forward with their own decisions, but even the players, even the coaches, they're all divided as well on this, politically, medically, and, of course, when it comes to the issue of sports -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Of course. Of course. It's like a microcosm of the entire country at the moment.

Martin Savidge, thank you so much.

SAVIDGE: Exactly.

BALDWIN: Right? Exactly. Exactly. Thank you very much.

[15:25:03]

We will come back to this.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming the world's first vaccine for COVID-19, even saying his own daughter got a dose, but the skepticism is pouring in.

We will discuss that.

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