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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Meets With Zelenskyy In Kyiv; Large Fires Break Out At Military Installation In Russia Near Ukraine Border; Biden Pushes Congress To Pass $33 Billion Ukrainian Aid Package. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired May 01, 2022 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:09]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

We're following multiple new developments in Ukraine, evacuations in a long-besieged city of Mariupol are now paused until tomorrow. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, confirming that more than a hundred civilians were safely moved from the city's steel plant today, after weeks of bombardment. The Red Cross and United Nations are helping to facilitate those evacuations.

It is welcome news as Russia continues to pound Eastern Ukraine with a vicious new offensive. Ukrainian officials report heavy shelling and airstrikes are targeting a large swath of the country from Kharkiv to the north, to Zaporizhzhia in the south.

And President Zelenskyy also confirming that an airport runway in Odessa airport was destroyed in a missile strike Saturday and he is vowing to rebuild it, but amid these new attacks, a surprise visit from some of America's top elected officials.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi leading a congressional delegation to Kyiv to meet with President Zelenskyy. She made it clear the U.S. is ready to support Ukraine for the long haul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): We believe that we are listening to you, to say thank you for your fight for freedom that we are on a frontier of freedom and that your fight is a fight for everyone, and so our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, for more, let's go to CNN's Matt Rivers and Scott McLean, both in Ukraine standing by.

Matt, you first, Speaker Pelosi visit today was unannounced, but very significant.

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No question, and it comes just one week after the last U.S. delegation came here to Kyiv. Of course, that was Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin.

And yes, so soon after that we've got a congressional delegation led by none other than the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. It is a big message. She is the highest ranking U.S. official to come here to Kyiv and this is just the latest step in what we have seen really be a narrative shift in the United States. We have seen the United States take a marked shift in tone over the last, let's say two weeks or so talking about Ukraine, winning this war as opposed to just helping Ukraine fight back against the Russians providing some support along the way.

We have seen a tone shift from the United States that has really centered on new aid, lots more aid. We are talking about billions and billions of dollars of more aid and also the successive visits by senior U.S. officials really sending a message here to Ukraine that the United States is in it for the long haul, and that is something that President Zelenskyy himself talked about earlier today at this meeting.

He thanked the U.S. delegation, noted that it was a very senior congressional delegation. It came shortly after the last U.S. delegation came here and said that the United States is now the quote "leader" when it comes to supporting Ukraine in its fight against the Russians.

And remember, this visit comes just a few days after President Biden formally requested that U.S. Congress authorize some $33 billion in additional aid to Ukraine, some of which will be humanitarian aid, the majority of which will be towards the kind of heavy weaponry that Ukraine says it needs in its fight against Russia. And of course, Speaker Pelosi will play a key role in getting a legislative package to President Biden to sign, once it is signed, then of course, those weapons would come here to Ukraine.

I think we know where Speaker Pelosi's motives are in terms of getting that legislation passed.

WHITFIELD: Scott McLean is in Lviv. Scott, evacuations underway in Mariupol as abbreviated as they might be, but we're also hearing about a fire at a Russian military installation. What can you tell us?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fredricka. Yes, let me start with the big news out of Mariupol. The nightmare is finally over for perhaps almost 200 people.

According to Russian state media, who is quoting the Russian Defense Ministry, some 80 people were able to get out from underneath that sprawling Azovstal steel plant earlier today. They were taken to Russia-held territory. We have videos showing them arriving at what looks to be some sort of a tent camp a few miles east of the city. There are women, there are children, there are elderly people as well.

Now, it is not exactly clear how this evacuation worked or how this deal was brokered specifically, but the Ukrainian President said that this is the first real ceasefire in some time that's held especially for two days without either side managing to fire a shot. This is especially remarkable since just on Friday, Ukrainian troops were actually -- or sorry, Russian troops, excuse me, were trying to storm that Azovstal steel plant from the ground. The Ukrainians have been concerned that these civilians would be pushed into Russian territory, but it appears that in this case, they actually did have a choice. The Russian say that anyone who wanted to go to Ukraine was turned over to the U.N. and the Red Cross and President Zelenskyy confirmed that 100 people were en route to Zaporizhzhia on Ukrainian- held territory.

[15:05:10]

MCLEAN: And we have brand new video as well, Fredricka, showing how some people were able to escape. You can see them climbing up the rubble from underneath of these underground bunkers, using ladders that were put there with the assistance of soldiers. And once they were on the -- once they were out on level ground, well, it's not really level at all, they are having to navigate through this bombed out area with debris everywhere where they're able to board buses.

That video also shows women with young baby, one woman is asked as her son's name and asked how old he is, and she says that he just turned six months old. So this baby has been one-third of his very short life underneath the ground, sheltering from the Russian bombing campaign underneath of a steel plant.

Now, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister thanks specifically the Red Cross, and also the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for making this evacuation happen, which by the way, is still ongoing. She also apologized for the radio silence from Ukrainian officials saying she did not want anything to jeopardize this operation.

So now that these civilians are out, well, we know there's potentially up to 180 of them there may though still be hundreds more to come out of that steel plant, but the Ukrainian say that there were also hundreds of injured soldiers there and we don't know their fate at this point.

Fredricka, you also mentioned that fire at that military installation in Belgorod on the Russian side of the border, this is not something new. This has been a part of a larger pattern of these mysterious fires popping up on Russian territory. This one, in video, you can see smoke rising in the distance. That fire is now out according to the local governor.

Just last week actually, there was another fire that broke out at an ammunition depot, and while the Ukrainians have not been jumping up and down to take responsibility for these fires on Russian territory, they might as well have at least for the one last week. An adviser to the President said that karma is a cruel thing -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Scott McLean, Matt Rivers, thanks to both of you. Appreciate it.

So as top U.S. Congressional Democrats met with President Zelenskyy, work is still being done in Washington to help Ukraine. President Biden is pressing Congress to consider supplying Ukraine with an additional $33 billion in aid. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux has more from Washington.

Suzanne, good to see you. So, there are new signs that this aid package could pass quickly.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It could. I mean, there's definitely pressure here. There is a sign that Congress is deadly serious about its commitment to aid Ukraine, protect democracy and make every effort that it can to shut down Russia's war with its neighbor.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a secret overnight trip to Kyiv to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to deliver that very message. Now, Pelosi is second in line to succeed President Biden which really makes her the highest ranking U.S. official to meet with Ukraine's leader since this war began.

Pelosi spent just over three hours on the ground in Kyiv, along with a congressional delegation, also including the Chairs of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, House Rules Committee among others. And Zelenskyy shared a video of this meeting.

He thanked the US for its support. And Pelosi and the congressional delegation then traveled to Poland, where they held a news conference to give a readout of these discussions and to meet with the Polish President. Now, this trip comes following Zelenskyy's pleas that weapons to win this war, they have to come a lot faster from the United States and other NATO allies.

And so the House just last week passed legislation that would allow Biden to use what is a World War Two era law. It's called the Lend Lease Act of 1941. Originally created to help forces fighting Nazi Germany to quickly supply these weapons to Ukraine on loan.

Congress, as you mentioned, also set to take up this $33 billion supplemental funding bill to further aid Ukraine in military and humanitarian aid, which now both Democratic and Republican lawmakers say is a top priority.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PELOSI: Our discussion centered around the subject at hand as you would suspect: Security, humanitarian assistance, economic assistance, and eventually rebuilding when victory is won.

We were proud to convey to him a message of unity from the Congress of the United States, a message of appreciation from the American people for his leadership and admiration for to the people of Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now there are two immediate issues that Congress must tackle regarding that proposed $33 billion package. The first is how soon Congress is going to take it up. [15:10:10]

MALVEAUX: Senator Bob Menendez said today that the Senate could take it up either this week or next, depending on whether or not lawmakers start picking it apart or adding amendments, which of course, would slow down the process, and then second, whether the supplemental package would be paired with a separate COVID relief package, which the Democrats are pushing.

But we also heard from Democratic Senator Tim Kaine this morning, who said that is not necessary. So this is a top priority -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, still work to do. Suzanne Malveaux in D.C. Thanks so much.

All right, and then this, an emotional night at New York's Metropolitan Opera last night when a Ukrainian soprano took her curtain call draped in as you see it there, the Ukrainian flag, a sold-out crowd, you can hear they are cheering singer Liudmyla Monastyrska after her first performance in the title role of "Trinidad."

She replaced famed Russian star Anna Netrebko, who was cut from the performance after she refused to publicly distance herself from Russian President Vladimir Putin following the invasion.

What a night that was.

All right, coming up, Georgia prosecutors are about to begin the process of seating a special grand jury to decide if Donald Trump should be charged for pressuring state officials into overturning the 2020 presidential election, what it means for the former President, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:15:39]

WHITFIELD: All right tomorrow in Atlanta, the Fulton County District Attorney is expected to begin the selection process for a special grand jury to decide if former President Donald Trump should be charged for trying to pressure Georgia officials into overturning Joe Biden's election win in that state in 2020.

Prosecutors are looking into a January 2021 phone call in which Trump pushed Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger to quote, "Find the votes" needed for him to win that state.

Page Pate is a constitutional law and criminal defense attorney, and he is with us now. Page, good to see you.

So given what you know, do you think it's possible a special grand jury could recommend an indictment for former President Trump?

PAGE PATE, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I do, Fred. The special grand jury, of course doesn't have the power to indict Trump or anyone else on its own, but what they do have the power to do is subpoena witnesses for testimony, subpoena documents, review all of that evidence and then make a recommendation as to whether or not another grand jury should actually indict the President and perhaps other people for this particular attempt at election interference.

Now, there are a number of different crimes that could apply here -- misdemeanors, felonies -- it will be up to this grand jury to look at the evidence and then make a recommendation as to what if any crime should be pursued.

WHITFIELD: And included in that evidence has to be this infamous call, right? Former President Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in January 2021. Here's a portion of that call.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So look, all I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So what does that sound like to you? What will that sound to the potential grand jurors?

PATE: Well, it sounds like the former President is attempting to interfere with the election results, but here is what's critical. We do not at this point, have the Secretary of State's testimony about how that call affected him. If the District Attorney is going to pursue Trump for interfering with election results by soliciting the Secretary of State to not do his job, well, then we need to hear from the Secretary of State and that's why we have this special grand jury.

He is not, the Secretary of State is not going to voluntarily come forward and cooperate with the District Attorney, so she had to impanel this special grand jury. So how that call affected him, I think is critical to the analysis of this case.

WHITFIELD: Well, will it be submissible, all of the interviews that Raffensperger did where he did talk about his experience in that call, and he may have intimated, if not said directly, what his feelings were, is that admissible?

PATE: It's admissible if there was a prosecution against Raffensperger, but to actually be admissible in a trial against Trump, you've got to have the testimony of the Secretary of State. That's why it's so important to find out how he took that call, and what if anything he did in response to that call.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. All right, so this is a county grand jury hearing. Is the bar for an indictment any different in this type of hearing as compared to a Federal Court?

PATE: No. The bar is the same? Is there probable cause that a crime has been committed? The difference here, again, we're dealing with a special grand jury under state law, they don't have to finish their work in a month or two months. They can take much longer than that. So, the analysis is going to be the same, but this process may take even longer.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. All right, Fulton County, a DA, Fani Willis said in an April interview with "The Atlanta Journal Constitution" that she will wait until after the state's May 24th primaries to issue subpoenas to public officials.

So maybe that's an answer to the Raffensperger, so do you see that among those subpoenas, it could include Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp? And of course the Secretary of State?

PATE: Yes. Absolutely. But again, I think she's smart to wait until after the primary because then potentially they'll either be out of office in which case or at least on the way out of office, they may not be as reticent to testify about what Trump did to them and how that affected them or you know, she doesn't want their testimony to be with one eye towards the election.

[15:20:10]

PATE: So, I think waiting until the primary is over is certainly a smart move.

WHITFIELD: Well, do you also see a potential subpoena for the former President?

PATE: That is possible, but I don't think that's going to happen. Normally, if you're the target of a grand jury, you're not going to get a summons to appear in front of the grand jury. The investigations about you calling you to actually testify would be very unusual.

What I do expect to see is some of the people targets of these or recipients of these subpoenas challenging them in Court, and there has been a Fulton Superior Court Judge appointed to handle those challenges, and I think he's going to have a lot of work to do here.

WHITFIELD: All right, Page Pate, good to see you. Thanks so much.

PATE: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up. A manhunt continues in Alabama for a corrections officer and an inmate charged with murder after the two went missing on Friday. We'll bring you the latest, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:25:26]

WHITFIELD: All right, right now, a manhunt is underway in Alabama for a capital murder suspects and a corrections officer. Officer Vicki White was transporting inmates Casey White, no relation, to Court for what she told authorities was a mental evaluation. Officer White's empty patrol car was then later spotted in a shopping center after neither of them showed up for that unscheduled visit. Now, the U.S. Marshal Service is offering a reward of up to $10,000.00 for information leading to the inmates capture. CNN's Nadia Romero is following this closely. So very mysterious. What are the leads, if any?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, so many unanswered questions, right? And so your mind starts going in every direction, but what's important to note is that the U.S. Marshals came out and said that they believe that officer Vicki White is in danger.

So regardless of how she might have been involved, if at all, in this escape attempt, they believe she is at risk right now, and so does her former boss. The Sheriff there of Lauderdale County believes that she is in danger of because of this rap sheet that we know the inmate has.

But let's start with Vicki White. So what do we know about her? Well, she is the Assistant Director of Corrections. She has been in the department for almost 17 years. She is well-liked, well-respected, and that's why the Sheriff says they are so surprised that this would happen.

Here is another interesting part of this story. The inmate, Casey White who escaped back in 2020, he tried to escape. He had a plan to get himself out of the County Detention Center, and part of that plan included taking a hostage.

Now, it's unclear if that plan from 2020 was the one that actually was successful just a few days ago, but important to note there that he was already thinking: How can I get out of here? And was able to do so on Friday.

So let's talk about Casey White. He has been convicted on several charges. He was already serving 75 years in prison. There is the "Wanted" poster, a $10,000.00 reward because of those convictions, already serving 75 years in prison.

Some of those charges: attempted murder and kidnapping on the list.

Now, he was at the Lauderdale County Detention Center and was not in prison recently because of an upcoming trial according to Court documents slated for this summer because prosecutors say he admitted to killing 59-year-old, Connie Ridgeway.

Now, Connie Ridgeway was murdered in her apartment back in 2015, and I spoke with her son, Austin Williams just yesterday, and he told me his mother was the most wonderful, sweetest woman. She was so kind, even to strangers. They were shocked when she was murdered.

And then they finally found out, five years later that this escaped inmate, Casey White, said that he was the one who killed her. They were hoping that this would all wrap up, but it didn't.

Listen to Austin Williams explain why he is so surprised this can even happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) AUSTIN WILLIAMS, SON OF CONNIE RIDGEWAY: Most of us are thinking how is this possible? Because I was in the courtroom when the Judge ordered him to go to the State Prison, and was like, send him there immediately. So, I don't have any idea of how or why he was at the County Detention Center, and he wasn't in the state prison.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: Another unanswered question in this story. The Williams family says we thought he was in prison. We had no idea he was even in Lauderdale County. How could this happen? You knew that he was trying to escape years ago and then was successful on Friday.

All right, one last look at Casey White, the inmate there, 38 years old. A really big identifier for him, six feet nine inches tall. He should stick out. He also has multiple tattoos including a rebel flag, a rebel Confederate flag that says "Southern Pride." So that could be another way to identify him.

We've reached out to his attorney last on record on the Court documents, haven't heard, it is a Sunday. So we're waiting to hear back for more information. But Fredericka, so much happening in this particular story. Both of them, the corrections officer, the inmate still on the loose.

WHITFIELD: Still missing. Yes, it would seem that he would really stand out, but elusive nonetheless for days now. All right, thank you so much, Nadia Romero. Appreciate it.

All right, still ahead. President Biden is set to speak at the memorial service for former Vice President Walter Mondale. We will bring you his remarks live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:34:28]

WHITFIELD: The Washington Press Corps, top government officials, and Hollywood celebrities gathering for the White House Correspondents' Dinner in the nation's capital last night. It's the first time in three years the event has been held due to the pandemic and it was the first time in six years involving a sitting President in attendance.

Host, Trevor Noah, roasted journalists and poked a little fun at the politicians including of course, the President of the United States, who also then cracked jokes about everything from his low approval ratings to the G.O.P.

[15:35:03]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And a special thanks to the 42 percent of you who actually applauded.

[LAUGHTER] BIDEN: I'm really excited to be here tonight with the only group of Americans with a lower approval rating than I have.

[LAUGHTER]

BIDEN: This the first time a President attended this dinner in six years.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

BIDEN: It's understandable. We had a horrible plague, followed by two years of COVID.

[LAUGHTER]

BIDEN: Folks, I'm not really here to roast the G.O.P. That's not my style. Besides, there is nothing I can say about the G.O.P. that Kevin McCarthy hasn't already put on tape.

[LAUGHTER]

BIDEN: Today's Republicans say tear down Mickey Mouse's house, and pretty soon there'll be storming Cinderella's castle, you can be sure of it.

The Republicans seem to support one fella, some guy named Brandon. He's having a really good year, and I'm kind of happy for him.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: He was funny. How come nobody fixed his tie, which was askew?

All right, now, this is the juxtaposition because this is right now at any moment President Biden taking on a much more somber tone when he speaks at the memorial service underway right now for former Vice President Walter Mondale, and we'll bring that to you live as it happens.

But first, this programming note, Stanley Tucci "Searching for Italy" is back. New episodes, new food, and new discoveries, and on the first episode of this season, Tucci visits the floating city of Venice, once the center of a world trading empire. He explores the ingenuity of the Venetians who have embraced the unexpected delights and challenges of the lagoon reaping the benefits of its fertile land.

Don't miss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: I'd like you to try something.

STANLEY TUCCI, CNN HOST, "SEARCHING FOR ITALY" (voice over): And these cicchetti, a traditional Venetian snack.

(STANLEY TUCCI speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: This is pork fat, right?

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: Yes, it is lardo. Red or white wine?

(STANLEY TUCCI speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: White.

TUCCI (voice over): It's only 8:30, but a Venetian breakfast is eaten standing up, washed down with a glass of wine known as an umbra or "shadow."

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: These are our sea cicadas, and it is served in a slightly different way. Raw.

TUCCI (voice over): This is fast food, lagoon style. The word cicchetti means "a nothing." Ironic because it's really something.

(STANLEY TUCCI speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: Is that a little bit of miso?

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: It is miso mayonnaise. Cooked by us, of course.

TUCCI (on camera): My god.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)

TRANSLATION: And here are your cicchetti.

TUCCI: I love that. Diego, I'm coming over here so I can see it. Look at that. My God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Oh, that looks pretty yummy. In the end, I might be willing to try that. Don't miss the new season of Stanley Tucci searching for Italy. It premieres tonight at 9:00 PM on CNN.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:41:11]

WHITFIELD: At any moment now, President Biden will be speaking at a memorial service in Minnesota for the late Vice President Walter Mondale, who died last year at the age of 93.

CNN's Adrienne Broaddus is in Minnesota. So Adrienne, as we await for the President to take to the podium there. What do we expect that he might say?

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, good afternoon to you.

It is likely President Biden will speak about the friendship he shared with the former Vice President, Walter Mondale. He will likely share stories about how they learned from each other and leaned on each other.

Walter Mondale was 93. He died last year. But this memorial services taking place on the University of Minnesota's campus, was postponed due to COVID. Mondale whom everyone affectionately called "Fritz" earned his undergraduate degrees from the University of Minnesota, as well as his law degree.

Parts of the campus are named after Mondale. He served as Vice President under Jimmy Carter, and he gave name recognition as the Attorney General for the State of Minnesota, went on to become a Senator first appointed, but then won two additional terms on his own, and that's something and President Biden will likely speak about, the similarities.

President Biden has previously said when he first went to Washington as a Senator, Mondale was one, or among the first to greet him. And then when President Biden was asked to consider serving as Vice President under Barack Obama, the first person he called for guidance was Walter Mondale, and the President has said he is thankful, "Fritz" who he called him, accepted that call and not only accepted the call, but he wrote him a memo.

And we've heard from multiple people during this memorial ceremony happening right now, Senator Amy Klobuchar is up speaking. She talked about how Mondale served as her mentor, and the first job she had in Washington was working as his intern and her role as an intern, her first role was to take inventory of the furniture.

There's been a lot of laughter inside of the auditorium here on the campus of the University of Minnesota, and that speaks to who Walter Mondale was. He made history. He was humble, but he was also humorous.

I'm reminded of a memorable moment with Walter Mondale, it takes me back to 2019. I was here working in Minnesota covering a story, and during the course of the conversation, the conversation was prolonged because the former Vice President and his friend, whom I was also interviewing, kept cracking jokes throughout the entire conversation.

At one point, he paused and his tone shifted. He looked at his friend and then he looked at me and he said, "Laughter is good, don't you think?" He paused, almost waiting for me to answer that question, and I let the silence in the room play out.

And then he proceeded to tell me laughter carried him through some of life's most difficult moments. Laughter between the friend and him that was there that day.

And we know Mondale, the community grieved with him when he lost his wife Joan and his daughter, Eleanor, who died from brain cancer. He went on to work and research brain cancer.

And many of you might be wondering why this ceremony is happening in Minnesota. It's what Mondale wanted. He wanted something local with his extended family here in Minnesota -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Well, Adrienne Broaddus, you're absolutely right. We're about to hear from the President of the United States, who I'm sure will concur, laughter is good and also comforting.

Now the president of the United States paying homage to the former Vice President Walter Mondale.

[15:45:10]

BIDEN: Thank you very much. What Fritz is really saying looking down is, Joe, hide your Irish Catholic enthusiasm a little bit and be more Norwegian.

[LAUGHTER]

BIDEN: Generous introduction. You know, I got a chance to talk with the family a little bit earlier and trying to console them and I got emotional. But as my grandfather Finnegan would say, that's the Irish side of you.

You know, I served with Fritz a long time. He became good and close friend. I was a kid when I got elected, I wouldn't even know to be sworn in. I was only 29 years old.

And because everything is based on seniority in the Senate, I got to hang out with folks like Fritz and Hubert long before you know, ordinarily at my age, because by the time I was there a second term, I was Chairman of some major committees.

And so I'm going to talk more today about Fritz and what he pretend didn't exist, but Fritz's sense of empathy, Fritz had a special way about it, that I don't think he would talk about, I could be wrong, but I never heard him talking about it.

Now, there was a question that Fritz famously asked staffers who came to work for him and say, "On the breakfast plate, what's the difference between the eggs and the bacon?" Senators Smith and Klobuchar know the answer.

[LAUGHTER]

BIDEN: By supplying the egg, the chicken made a contribution. The hog was fully committed.

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]

BIDEN: And it always surprised Fritz, I knew a little about agriculture, Delaware, my state has a -- in the Delmarva Peninsula, a $5 billion industry, chickens. A lot of chickens, a hell a lot more chickens than people, and it's the biggest industry.

But Fritz was always committed not merely to the work of his lifetime, which all of you are familiar with, most people know most of all, everybody was blessed to know him in this state.

You know, Reverend Hart Anderson, Members of Congress, our military, distinguished guests, most of all, the Mondale family, Ted, William, and Becka (ph) and Chen (ph), all the grandchildren, Lewis, Amanda, Barrett, Charlotte, Cassandra, Daniel, and all the dear friends of the family that are here as well, because you always talked about you all, as family.

I'm moved to be with you here today as an honor, one of the great giants in American history, and that's not hyperbole. Fritz was a giant in American political history.

You know, a great American, who -- but he also had love of great Americans write about him and write things that related to him without them even knowing him. Great American novelist, Edith Ward wrote, "There are two ways of spreading light to be a candle or the mirror that reflects it." Fritz is both the candle and the mirror in my view.

Candle that is spreading the light and the mirror reflecting it. And today, I speak of a friend of five decades about that light, the light of friendship and what it meant to me personally and my family.

Fritz and I first met in one of the darkest moments of my life. I had not intended to run for the United States Senate. I was involved in my state with great shame, was segregated by law. We have the eighth largest black population in America as a percent of population in Delaware.

I got involved in politics indirectly by getting involved in the Civil Rights Movement as a kid being the only White employee in the east side of Wilmington, an area called the Bucket for years.

[15:50:10]

BIDEN: And I was asked by a group of senior Democrats, when I, as a young lawyer, when I came back from law school and we were the only city in America occupied by the National Guard for 10 months, with every corner being occupied by a National Guard member with a drawn bayonet because of Dr. King's assassination and the riots that took place in my home state.

And I had a job with one of the oldest law firms in the state, a White shoe as he used to call the law firm. And after being home for six months, I couldn't do it anymore, and I left and tried to and sought a job as a public defender to represent the people I used to work with as a kid in high school and college.

And so I came to the United States Senate with a passion to do something about civil rights. And when I was elected, I ran initially for the group -- with a group -- I joined a group of senior members of the United States of the Delaware Democratic establishment to reform the Democratic Party because we were more a southern Democratic Party than a northeastern Democratic Party.

We used to be able to join the Southern Governors conference and the mid-Atlantic Conference and Democratic governors joined the Southern Governors conference. I couldn't bring myself to be a Republican, even though we were more progressive because of Richard Nixon when I registered.

But I was asked to head up a committee of younger people to try to get someone to run for the United States Senate against the guy who was a decent guy actually, a little too conservative, but decent guy.

One thing led to another, and I ended up being asked to run for the Senate. I had no intention of running for the Senate. But two years earlier, I had been elected to the County Council and Delaware was like a miniature Illinois. One county is 60 percent of the state's population.

So as the Council person, I represent a district seven times as large as the state representative and three times larger than a state senator. And I ran in one, I ran only to be a good soldier to try to get out Democrats voting, and I wasn't supposed to win. The only reason I ran I was certain I wasn't going to win because I didn't want to be a county councilman.

[LAUGHTER]

BIDEN: I was just setting up a law firm as a young senator, as a young man, I should say. And so what happened was, I won in a district that was like 55 to 56 percent Republican, no Democrat ever won.

Republicans saw something in me I didn't see. They saw someone who may want to go on and run for office beyond that. So they had forced me from a four-year term and a two-year term in a 65 percent district.

I was put in a position of up or out and a group of senior members of former Governor, former United States Senator, a former congressman and the Chief Justice -- the retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, whose family had more senators than any family in American history and they came to me an off year convention.

I'll never forget how classic it was. I was -- there was a break in the convention in Dover, Delaware. I was at a little motel nearby to go back and change with the younger people I was with and I had my own room.

You know, the typical kind of drive up to the front door to headboards nailed on the wall, a desk on the other wall and an eight by 10 bathroom. So I was in shaving, I had my towel around me and I just got a shower and suddenly, there is somebody banging at the door, and I thought it was one of those, a guy named Bob Cunningham was with me. I said, "All right. All right. All right." I went to the door and I opened the door.

There was a former two-term governor. I remember, named, Eric Carville (ph), former Congressman named Harrison and the State Chairman and a former Chief Justice. And I'm standing at a towel shaving my face, and the rest of me, stark naked.

And they said, "So we want to talk to you, Joe." So I said, "Well, come on gentlemen." I ran into the bathroom, take off the shaving cream hoping I could find something to put on, I had nothing to put on.

[LAUGHTER]

BIDEN: So I came back out and I leaned against that desk with a towel around me, and I said, "Yes, gentlemen?"

[LAUGHTER]

[15:55:06]

BIDEN: And they said, "Joe, we just had dinner. We think you should run for the Senate." And I said to the Chief Justice -- former Chief Justice Tunnel (ph) said that I said, "Sir, I said, I'm not old enough." He said, "Joe, you obviously didn't do very well on constitutional law."

[LAUGHTER]

BIDEN: I am thinking, "Holy God, what do I do now?" And he said, "You only have to be 30 to be sworn in. Get elected whenever you want, you'll be 30 seventeen days later."

Well, I ran, and to the shocking surprise of everybody, I won by a staggering 3,100 votes.

But here's the point. I showed up on December 18th to hire staff. I hadn't been sworn in yet, and what happened was that I had gotten a phone call that day from my Fire Department in Delaware, and they put a poor young woman on the phone who said you've got to come home, there has been an accident.

And she went on to tell me, the poor kid had to tell me, there was accident and this is what happened. "Your wife and daughter are dead and your two boys may not make it."

And, you know, the last thing I wanted to do was go to the United States Senate after that. We elected a governor, a Democrat, he could appoint a Democrat and I had my brother talking to him about who we'd appoint.

But there was Fritz and Joan. They embraced me, contacted me, that's just being nice, but bringing me in. I came to the hospital to see my boys. They helped me find my purpose in a sea of darkness and pain.

I was with Fritz along with Mike Mansfield, and Teddy Kennedy and a few others, who all came to see me and said, "Just come six months and go home after that. We need you." It's 58 Democrats. They didn't need me for a damn thing.

[LAUGHTER]

BIDEN: No serious, but I was so -- such a rookie, I thought maybe they need me to organize, and they said, "Then you can leave." Nice to show up every Tuesday at three o'clock in the Senate chamber to get an assignment from Senator Mansfield. Many times Fritz would walk me over, and I thought all freshmen got assignments. I didn't know nobody gets an assignment in the Senate.

It wasn't until about five months or three months in that I realized that was the case. But they kept me engaged. They helped me get up when it was easy to give up.

My life changed again five years later. No man deserves one great love in his life, let alone two. But I met and married Jill Biden, had to ask her five times.

[LAUGHTER]

BIDEN: True. But being a spouse of a Senator who was relatively well- known because of the celebrity of how I got there, and the accident and inheriting two beautiful young boys wasn't easy. Once again, Fritz and Joan, were there. They were there, spreading the light.

Joan was one of the first people to reach out to Jill and it meant the world to us. It meant the world.

You just heard from my friend, Jon Meacham, Fritz was a master legislator who shone a light on those who needed it most. The desire to lift up others stemmed from his youth, from his service as a Corporal in the U.S. Army in those early days, organized for Hubert Humphrey in parts of Minnesota the Democrats didn't win.

Fritz learned early the power of bringing people together, and I know that Fritz, for Fritz no moment was brighter than when we joined forces because I was with him. I was just a bit player with an African-American senator from Massachusetts, Senator Edward Brooke and we passed the Fair Housing Act.

I was on the same side, the same side of the chamber in the back where Fritz was.

I remember the look on his face, literally, remember the look on his face. Opened up neighborhoods, diminished by segregation for so long.

[16:00:12]