During an exclusive live interview on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, Joe Biden struggled to answer surprisingly challenging questions from co-host George Stephanopoulos about the controversy swirling around the Michael Flynn case. Meanwhile, the presumptive Democratic nominee escaped the conversation with only 39 seconds spent on Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegation against him.
After the first couple questions focused on the response to the coronavirus pandemic, Stephanopoulos turned to Flynn:
I do want to ask you about Michael Flynn, the former National Security Advisor to President Trump, and the move by the Justice Department last week to dismiss the case against him for lying to the FBI. The President said yesterday that that move is justified because President Obama targeted Flynn, he called it, quote, “the biggest political crime in U.S. history.” Your former Senate colleague Charles Grassley has added that “Flynn was entrapped” and asked on the Senate floor, “What did Obama and Biden know, when did they know it?” So what did you know about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn and was there anything improper done?
A loud exasperated sigh could be heard from Biden as Stephanopoulos asked the notably pointed question. The Democratic presidential candidate seemed agitated and annoyed at having to respond: “I know nothing about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn, number one. Number two, this is all about diversion....The country is in crisis....He should stop trying to always divert attention from the real concerns of the American people.”
However, Stephanopoulos didn’t let the matter go. In fact, he caught Biden saying something untrue: “I do want to press that. You say you didn’t know anything about it, but you were reported to be at a January 5th, 2017 meeting where you and the President were briefed on the FBI’s plan to question Michael Flynn over those conversations he had with the Russian Ambassador Kislyak.”
Biden was flustered as he fumbled around for an answer:
No, I thought you asked me whether or not I had anything to do with him being prosecuted. I’m sorry. I was aware that there was – that they had asked for an investigation, but that’s all I know about it, and I don’t think anything else.
He then quickly switched back to his assertion that there was nothing to see: “I mean this, is – we have an economic crisis. We have a health crisis. This is all about diverting attention. Focus on what’s in front of us.”
Stephanopoulos continued to press: “Was the Justice Department right to drop those charges against Michael Flynn?” Biden claimed that “a whole lot of former Justice Department people said the Attorney General should step down,” before he again tried to dismiss the entire controversy:
But, look, I don’t know the detail of where we are right now. My point is a simple one. Focus on what’s in front of us. You have plenty of time to investigate this issue, I think there’s nothing there there. But it’s not a surprise that, in fact, the Justice Department decided anybody who was an ally of the President didn’t do anything wrong ever anyway.
Amazingly, only at the end of the nearly seven-minute interview did Stephanopoulos get to a question about former Senate staffer Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegation against Biden: “On these allegations from Tara Reade, I know you’ve denied them, but you’ve also said that women should be believed. So what do you say to Americans who believe Tara Reade and won’t vote for you because of it?”
Biden simply repeated his denials:
Well, that’s their right. Look, here, I think women should be believed. They should have an opportunity to have their case and state it just forthrightly what their case is. Then it’s the responsibility of responsible journalists like you and everyone else to go out and investigate those. At the end of the day, the truth is the truth. That’s what should prevail and the truth is this never happened. This never happened. I assure you, that’s the truth.
The entire exchange on Reade was a paltry 39 seconds, with no follow-up. The interview simply ended.
Considering ABC ignored the scandal for 36 days, perhaps Stephanopoulos could have spent a bit more time on the topic.
Here is a full transcript of the May 12 interview:
7:32 AM ET
STEPHANOPOULOS: We are joined now by the former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden, now Democratic candidate for president. Joins us from Delaware this morning. Mr. Vice President, thank you for joining us this morning.
JOE BIDEN: Thank you, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I do want to start with that warning from Dr. Fauci that we’re going to hear in the Senate today, saying there will be needless suffering and death if the country opens too quickly. Meantime, President Trump is arguing that Democratic governors in Pennsylvania and other states are moving too slowly for, he says, political purposes. So do you believe states are opening up too quickly or too slowly? If you were president right now, what would you be telling governors to do?
BIDEN: I would tell the governors to listen to Dr. Fauci, listen to the scientists, listen to what the facts are. Look, this is – this president has to focus on what’s going on here. We’re in a situation where there’s a great crisis. Dr. Fauci talks about if we open needlessly – open soon – there are going to be needless deaths and we have to have things in place. Everybody wants to open, George. The governors want to open, but they want to open in a rational way. The President hasn’t done his work. The President hasn’t done what he’s supposed to do. He hasn’t provided the materials, he hasn’t provided – I mean this, is ridiculous the way he’s talking about it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You heard the President yesterday, he said that –
BIDEN: This isn’t politics, this is life.
STEPHANOPOULOS: The President said that he has met the moment on testing and prevailed on testing. In your Washington Post op-ed yesterday, you accused the President lying about that when he said anyone who wants a test he can get a test. He repeated that at the press conference yesterday.
BIDEN: The truth is the truth, George. Anyone can’t get a test around the country. Granted more tests are coming forward, but, look, this needless complacency that the President has engaged in from the very beginning, he knew about this crisis all the way back in January and February. He's been incompetent the way in which he’s responded to it. We have 80,000 deaths. We have more deaths, we have more of the virus than any nation in the world. What’s the story here? I mean, come on. This is just fantasy land what he’s talking about.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I do want to ask you about Michael Flynn, the former National Security Advisor to President Trump, and the move by the Justice Department last week to dismiss the case against him for lying to the FBI. The President said yesterday that that move is justified because President Obama targeted Flynn, he called it, quote, “the biggest political crime in U.S. history.” Your former Senate colleague Charles Grassley has added that “Flynn was entrapped” and asked on the Senate floor, “What did Obama and Biden know, when did they know it?” So what did you know about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn and was there anything improper done?
BIDEN: I know nothing about those moves to investigate Michael Flynn, number one. Number two, this is all about diversion. This is a game this guy blames all the time. The country is in crisis. We’re in an economic crisis, a health crisis, we’re in real trouble. He should stop trying to always divert attention from the real concerns of the American people. The American people are worried, with good reason. He has acted irresponsibly from the very beginning. He continues to act irresponsibly. He hasn’t done his job. This is all about diverting attention. Diverting attention from the horrible way in which he has acted with what – he’s not – we don’t have coronavirus because of him, but we have the devastating impact of it because of his lack of a policy. His lack of action. It’s all about diversion.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I do want to press that. You say you didn’t know anything about it, but you were reported to be at a January 5th, 2017 meeting where you and the President were briefed on the FBI’s plan to question Michael Flynn over those conversations he had with the Russian Ambassador Kislyak.
BIDEN: No, I thought you asked me whether or not I had anything to do with him being prosecuted.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay.
BIDEN: I’m sorry. I was aware that there was – that they had asked for an investigation, but that’s all I know about it, and I don’t think anything else. Look, think about this. Can you imagine any other President of the United States focusing on this at the moment when the country is just absolutely concerned about their health, the health of their children, the health of their families, the health of their – I mean this, is – we have an economic crisis. We have a health crisis. This is all about diverting attention. Focus on what’s in front of us.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Was the –
BIDEN: Get us out of this, Mr. President.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Was the Justice Department right to drop those charges against Michael Flynn?
BIDEN: Well, based on a couple thousand, I guess I saw a headline yesterday, I guess, a couple thousand former – or was it a couple hundred, I’m not sure – a whole lot of former Justice Department people said the Attorney General should step down. I have been absolutely stunned by the way in which he has not conducted the office properly. But, look, I don’t know the detail of where we are right now. My point is a simple one. Focus on what’s in front of us. You have plenty of time to investigate this issue, I think there’s nothing there there. But it’s not a surprise that, in fact, the Justice Department decided anybody who was an ally of the President didn’t do anything wrong ever anyway.
STEPHANOPOULOS: When do you expect to get out on the campaign trail?
BIDEN: Well, we’re on the campaign trial now. You know, everybody says, you know, Biden is hiding. Well, let me tell you something, we’re doing very well. We’re following the guidelines of the medical profession. We’re following the guidelines of the experts, the Dr. Faucis of the world. We’re doing very well, and as a matter of fact, we’re winning if you look at all the polling data. I’m not saying that’s going to last til November, I don’t know enough to know that. But right now, the idea that somehow we are being hurt by my keeping to the rules and following the instructions that have been put forward by the docs, is absolutely bizarre.
I reject the premise that somehow this is hurting us. There’s no evidence of that. I’m following the rules, following the rules. The President should follow the rules instead of showing up to places without masks and the whole thing. And look, this is – I mean, I’m getting frustrated with not you, with this, the whole notion that somehow there is – we can just open, we can move. I mean, I’m anxious to go out and campaign, George. You know, when I campaign I’m usually the first one there and the last one to leave. I enjoy interfacing with people, I’m not trying to avoid it. But I’m trying to set an example as to how we should proceed in terms of dealing with this health and economic crisis.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Finally, Mr. Vice President –
BIDEN: No damage so far that I can see.
STEPHANOPOULOS: On these allegations from Tara Reade, I know you’ve denied them, but you’ve also said that women should be believed. So what do you say to Americans who believe Tara Reade and won’t vote for you because of it?
BIDEN: Well, that’s their right. Look, here, I think women should be believed. They should have an opportunity to have their case and state it just forthrightly what their case is. Then it’s the responsibility of responsible journalists like you and everyone else to go out and investigate those. At the end of the day, the truth is the truth. That’s what should prevail and the truth is this never happened. This never happened. I assure you, that’s the truth.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Mr. Vice President, thank you for your time this morning.
BIDEN: How are you feeling, man? Are you doing okay?
STEPHANOPOULOS: I’m doing very well, thank you for asking.
BIDEN: Alright, my best to your wife as well.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I appreciate it.
BIDEN: Scary stuff. Thank you.
STEPHANOPOULOS: It is, thank you.
