A Socially Distanced Conversation: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden

Can you imagine standing up when you're in prison saying it's not my responsibility I don't take any responsibility I don't mean literally look those words didn't come out of our mouths while we were in office I don't understand your inability to have an idea of ​​what's going on the people, you just can't relate well either way and one of the things I've always known about you, Joe, is the reason why I wanted you to be my

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and the reason why you were so effective and it all starts with be able to relate it if you can sit with a family and see your own family in them and the struggles that you've gone through or your parents went through or your children are going through if you can connect those struggles to the struggles of someone else, then you'll work hard for them and that's always what motivated you to go into public ser

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when we took office, even before the inauguration, we had seen historic financial crisis irresponsibility on Wall Street. had spread to Main Street, you know we had to act fast, not just in a hundred days, we had to move in the first month to pass the Recovery Act, now we are in a situation where we not only have an economic crisis but also we have a public health crisis, tell me a little bit about how you're looking at the current economic crisis and how you're thinking about the economy right now, well, it was the

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, there are three pieces, as I see it, one that we have to hold and prevent people from sinking forever.

There are already 10,000 companies. They are not likely to reopen. A significant number of small businesses and minority businesses. Second, when they can return, they will not only be able to keep their people employed. on a payroll but they can cover overhead, they can cover additional expenses, for example, the idea can be opened without social distancing mask testing and all these things that cost a lot of money, they have a cost where they are. a cost and they should be able to have that additional cost to be able to stay open for the good of the country, but the next stage will be if we are able to do it, if the stimulus can keep people afloat, then we have to deal with the recovery and the Recovery is rebuilding, but not just rebuilding, as you have been talking about.

I've talked about building back better, we have to change the way we approach the issue of allowing people the opportunity to earn a living, but that includes child care that includes making significant investments in infrastructure so that people can earn not just a salary living but a union wage, make sure that we have built a whole new public health system and make sure that everyone has health care and well, now we have a We may be able to add a public option now, but this guy is in court in in the middle of a pandemic trying to remove protection from one hundred million people with pre-existing conditions.

I don't think he has any sense of empathy. I don't think I can associate it at all. You and I have had experience dealing with health crises and public health crises and in each case what you and I understood and why I am so confident that you will be able to deal with Kovat the way other countries with our types of resources are addressing it right now, which is smart. I am confident that they will actually listen to the experts, yes, and pay attention to the science, and they will not stop trying to flatten the disease curve and transmission rates when we leave office.

You had established a pandemic office inside the White House. We had people from the CDC. 44 people in China. We knew that pandemic diseases were not going to be like this. unique thing that has happened and the goal was to create an early warning system around the world by creating international cooperation so that when you saw it coming you would have time to prepare well. I know how deeply you care about American families and that any loss of life that can be prevented if you're president of the United States, it's your job to try to prevent it and one of the things that I think you said is very important and you understood that We understood this during the financial crisis, you cannot separate the public. health crisis of the economy, well, if you want the economy to grow again, people have to feel safe, what you did and what all the great presidents - is it just an advantage that they persuade?

I think what he did with Obamacare, the ACA and what he wanted to do to have a public option, his quickest way to cover everyone, a memorable one was towards the end and the only person I told the details to the whole time It was you because you had the right to know exactly what and he only had months left to go and I used to sit there, watch him in bed, in pain and dying of glioblastoma, and I thought what if his insurance company could come , which they could have done before the better Obamacare and said, "You don't have insurance anymore." you have survived suffer the last five months of your life in peace you are alone all the things he did then it was such a profound impact on people that it was like it took a while until they started taking it I mean, you and I know what It's having someone you love get seriously ill and, in some cases, losing someone, but that loss is compounded when you see the stress on their faces because they're worried that they're being a burden on their families.

They're worried about whether insurance will cover the costs. treatments that they need I couldn't be more proud of what we've done 20 million people have health insurance that didn't have it because of what we did, but remember when we talked about this I always used to say that the Obamacare Affordable Care Act is like a starter home, yeah, it's the first home you get and it's not the end of the process, it's the beginning of the process, you know? we used to say you know this is a memorized starter home to stay in it's like Social Security when it was first passed that's exactly right Social Security this first pass was this narrow, very narrow Social Security now and you kept building it up to make it better, well, It's kind of like that initial house, they walked into the house and realized, oh God, this is better than being out in the cold, it's number one, but number two, and then I was like, but I have to go out and hit. the house, they are trying. tear down the house and I didn't realize that the reason I had this house is because of them and what's happening now is that there are so many people now.

I can't think of a time since the flu in 1988. I think that that. The audience had to, I don't know then, but it seems like they have to be fully aware of how vulnerable they were at this moment. You had people saying, "Oh, my lord," and look, you're absolutely right that it's hard to understand. Anyone who wants to take health care away from people in the middle of a major public health crisis and offer nothing at a time when unemployment is in double digits, there is another issue that has been on our minds and was on our minds during my presidency and that is the question. of race in America and how communities of color are policed, how do you know that the police are interacting and often acting in racially biased ways, and after the tragedy of George Floyd, what we've seen is this extraordinary mobilization throughout the country from people from all sectors. of life, every race, every Creed, that say it's time to do something about it, we understand that we are not going to fix everything in one day, but we are going to take this seriously, we are going to start from time to time. we had experiences with this during my administration our response was to not ignore those issues our response was we put together a 21st century policing task force that brought in police chiefs, academics, young black lives matter members all in one

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and we came to Al By analyzing a series of recommendations that remain relevant to this day, we overcame the notion that if a police department was engaging in a practice and pattern that violated basic civil rights and liberties, the United States Department of Justice of America the federal government would step in and stop it, well, you authorized to implement a wide range of things that would increase what most of the police officers that they grew up with became police officers, firefighters and, you know, or priests, I mean , I wouldn't qualify for Do any of them, the point is that they know that they need more guidance and I think this is a process that we are all going through, we are all learning and something that I have always admired about you, Joe, is that you know . your willingness to listen and learn is a sign of leadership when you are willing to listen to other people's experiences it has to do with communities that are systematically underinvested in it has to do with hiring and the fact that you know if you the phone is going well applying for a job sending your resume if your name is John they may call you back if your name is Jamal it may not be about being able to accumulate wealth it's about being able to be in a position that you know better than me , but I have seen it all my life working in the city.

Black entrepreneurs are just as successful as white entrepreneurs. Try it under the same circumstances. We are in a moment right now. Your granddaughters from my daughter have been involved in this moment. The best way for this and the next generation to say we have beliefs that all people are equal, we don't see that by operating there we're going to do something about it, yeah, and I think the key right now and that's why I have so much confidence that his administration wants to be a partner to harness that energy and achieve concrete reforms. Concrete measures not only in the criminal justice system, not only with respect to policing but also with respect to investment, jobs, business development, will send a signal of decency, consideration, concern and community throughout the country because politics is important, laws are important, budgets are important, but you know, what's also important is what kind of values ​​you're communicating, bingo and whether we want to create the world we want. our children and grandchildren grow up, then we will have to do much better than we are doing, a great opportunity and everyone will have to participate, you have a great opportunity, because look what happened.

You have 70 percent of the American people saying we have to do something about this. I'm not just talking about please and that's a big change from an example, it's a gigantic change and that's my thesis of why there are two ways that presidents motivate people by doing something really ignoble and important and the people say oh or do something really bad, this guy has created a feeling that people are realizing that he ran away deliberately dividing people from the moment he came down the escalator and I think people now say: I don't want to May my son grow up that way.

You know as much as anyone what it's like to be in the White House during a crisis. You know what it's like to have to pass laws in Congress. Know what it is. I like dealing with foreign leaders. You know what it is and how lonely it can be to make difficult decisions. Not all decisions are going to be perfect, but you have to make them and take responsibility. I've seen you with families. who have been through tragedies and what I have confidence in Joe is his heart and his character and the fact that he will be able to put back together the kind of government that cares about the people and brings people together and all the specific policies that we're going to need more than anything, it's just that basic decency and an understanding of what's best in America, which I think people will be hungry to work with you to do everything you can to help and I trust your commitment to make sure that we take advantage of this moment we have now.

Thank you and I have faith in the American people.