On Thursday, Joe Biden briefly emerged from his basement to chat with one of his favorite Democratic Party hacks in the media – MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell – who predictably made sure all her questions were DNC-approved softballs. Early in the friendly chat, Mitchell endorsed the Democratic nominee’s vile assertion that President Trump was “rooting for violence” on the streets of America’s cities and later wrapped up the exchange by touting Nancy Pelosi’s unhinged suggestion that the presidential debates should be cancelled.
After Mitchell complained that Wisconsin police shooting victim Jacob Blake “was never mentioned in any of the speeches at the Republican convention” and that Vice President Mike Pence said “you won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” Biden hurled this nasty accusation:
The problem we have right now is we’re in Donald Trump’s America. You know, to quote Kelly Conway [sic], she said, and I’m paraphrasing today, that they’re looking for more violence and more destruction because it helps them politically. He views this as a political benefit to him. You know, he’s rooting for more violence, not less, and he’s clear about that. And what’s he doing? He’s pouring gasoline on the fire.
Rather than give the Democrat a civility lecture, as she would to any Republican who made such a declaration, Mitchell instead seized on the invective and urged him to repeat it: “Let me ask you, you just said that you believe that the President is rooting for the violence. Do you think the President of the United States is rooting for the violence because he thinks it helps him politically?” Biden happily obliged: “I think he views it as a political benefit.”
In her next question, Mitchell was aghast that the radically pro-abortion politician’s commitment to his Catholic faith was questioned at the RNC: “One of the other things that Lou Holtz, one of the speakers, of course the famed former Notre Dame coach, said last night, is that you and people around you are ‘Catholics in name only.’”
However, before Biden could even respond, Mitchell rushed to defend him:
Now Father James Martin was on our air last night pushing back on that immediately and saying that Lou Holtz or no one else can know what is in your heart or anyone else’s heart, and that the abortion issue is not – that Catholics are not and the Church is not single issue, abortion is one issue but there are plenty of parts of the Church doctrine that President Trump has violated. What’s your response to the attack on your religion?
Mitchell spoke to Father Martin last week as well, just before the leftist priest gave the benediction at the Democratic National Convention.
With most of his talking points already recited by Mitchell, Biden simply added: “I’m a practicing Catholic and I’ve been a practicing Catholic my whole life. I never – I practice all the elements of my faith. And my private beliefs relative to how I would deal with Church doctrine is different than my imposing that doctrine on every other person in the world.”
Wrapping up the nearly 20-minute interview, Mitchell hyped the radical Democratic House Speaker suggesting Biden should stay away from the debate stage:
MITCHELL: Nancy Pelosi said something today about the debates that I wanted to play for you.
NANCY PELOSI: I, myself, just don’t tell anybody I told you this, especially don’t tell Joe Biden, I don’t think that there should be any debates. I do not think that the President of the United States has comported himself in a way that anybody that any association with truth, evidence, data and facts.
MITCHELL: What do you think about that? Would you consider not debating the President?
Biden assured her that he would debate Trump: “No....I’m gonna debate him.” Though the Democratic nominee, known for having trouble with truth, laughably promised: “I’m gonna be a fact checker on the floor while I’m debating him.” He then thanked his supporters in the leftist media for relentlessly trashing the RNC all week: “But, look, one thing that’s gone on so far is the vast majority, with notable exceptions, of the news media have been fact checking the things they have been saying during the convention, it’s just one lie after another, lying, lying, lying, lying, one after another.”
Returning to the debates, Biden revealed that he had been advised “that I shouldn’t debate Trump unless there’s a fact checker on the ground, I mean in there in the debate saying ‘That’s true, that’s not true.’” In other words, a press puppet to help him hammer the President. Well, Mitchell would certainly qualify for that job.
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Here is a transcript of Mitchell’s questions to Biden during the August 27 softball exchange:
12:45 PM ET
ANDREA MITCHELL: And with the crisis of the hurricane and of course what’s happening in Wisconsin and elsewhere in the country, multiple crises facing whoever becomes the next president, the Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, joins us now for an exclusive interview right here on MSNBC. Mr. Vice President, it’s good to see you. And this is the first time I’ve seen you since you became the Democratic nominee, so congratulations are in order. But I do want to ask you about all of the – all of the crises. Let’s first talk about the hurricane.
(...)
12:47 PM ET
MITCHELL: And of course there’s what’s happening in Kenosha, Wisconsin. I know you’ve reached out and talked to the family. Jacob Blake was never mentioned in any of the speeches at the Republican convention, not mentioned when the Vice President, Mike Pence, spoke last night. He also said that, “Joe Biden would double down on the very policies that are leading to violence in America’s cities,” adding that, “The hard truth is, you won't be safe in Joe Biden’s America.” Your response to that?
JOE BIDEN: Yeah, “Joe Biden’s America.” Look, while running a video of Donald Trump’s America. The problem we have right now is we’re in Donald Trump’s America. You know, to quote Kelly Conway [sic], she said, and I’m paraphrasing today, that they’re looking for more violence and more destruction because it helps them politically. He views this as a political benefit to him. You know, he’s rooting for more violence, not less, and he’s clear about that. And what’s he doing? He’s pouring gasoline on the fire.
(...)
12:48 PM ET
MITCHELL: Let me ask you, you just said that you believe that the President is rooting for the violence. Do you think the President of the United States is rooting for the violence because he thinks it helps him politically?
BIDEN: I think he views it as a political benefit. I had a quote here from Kellyanne Conway, she said, “The more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, it’s better for us, it’s a very clear choice it presents for us.”
(...)
12:49 PM ET
MITCHELL: One of the other things that Lou Holtz, one of the speakers, of course the famed former Notre Dame coach, said last night, is that you and people around you are “Catholics in name only.” Now Father James Martin was on our air last night pushing back on that immediately and saying that Lou Holtz or no one else can know what is in your heart or anyone else’s heart, and that the abortion issue is not – that Catholics are not and the Church is not single issue, abortion is one issue but there are plenty of parts of the Church doctrine that President Trump has violated.
BIDEN: Well, look –
MITCHELL: What’s your response to the attack on your religion?
BIDEN: Well, I think it’s kind of preposterous from a guy who hardly ever darkens the door of a church. Look, I’m not going to proselytize. I’m a practicing Catholic and I’ve been a practicing Catholic my whole life. I never – I practice all the elements of my faith. And my private beliefs relative to how I would deal with Church doctrine is different than my imposing that doctrine on every other person in the world.
(...)
12:51 PM ET
MITCHELL: Would you consider going to Wisconsin if it could be done safely in this pandemic?
BIDEN: Yes, I would. I would consider that.
(...)
12:52 PM ET
MITCHELL: You alluded to this, but the 17-year-old, Kyle Rittenhouse, who was arrested in connection at least – well he was at least charged with intentional homicide and two people did die during those protests Tuesday night. He has espoused some views, he’s part of a youth police group. He was holding a long gun, he was out and about, nobody restrained him. What are your concerns about the involvement of others, perhaps he, but others, who are white militia people stirring this trouble?
BIDEN: Well, I’m very concerned about it.
(...)12:55 PM ET
MITCHELL: He is apparently going to say tonight, among other things, in attacking you, “We have spent the last four years reversing the damage Joe Biden inflicted over the last 47 years.” And that, “At the Democratic convention you barely heard a word about their agenda.”
(...)
12:56 PM ET
MITCHELL: The speech last night that the Vice President gave painted a very rosy picture, to say the least, about the pandemic and the President’s response to it. One of the things that happened just this week is that the CDC changed their guidelines for testing and said that asymptomatic people who had been exposed to the virus did not need to be tested, which led others to say, most experts to say, that there are real concerns. Dr. Fauci, his office put out a statement saying that he was not present when that decision was taken, he was under general anesthesia, having surgery, but that he has some concerns that asymptomatic people can spread the virus if they’re not tested. What are your concerns about political interference? The White House said there was no interference in this but they said there was consultation. And it’s very clear that the President has said in Tulsa and other places that the more you test and the more cases you have, so he told his people to slow down the testing. Are they trying to slow down the testing and is this a dangerous message?
(...)
12:59 PM ET
MITCHELL: I mean, last week they got the FDA, under pressure, to reverse the decision on the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma. A lot of scientists are very concerned about that. Now last night the Vice President said that he believes they will have a vaccine by the end of the year, not hoping, but believes that they will have one safe and effective. How concerned are you that they’re gonna rush something out even before Election Day?
(...)
1:01 PM ET
MITCHELL: Nancy Pelosi said something today about the debates that I wanted to play for you.
NANCY PELOSI: I, myself, just don’t tell anybody I told you this, especially don’t tell Joe Biden, I don’t think that there should be any debates. I do not think that the President of the United States has comported himself in a way that anybody that any association with truth, evidence, data and facts.
MITCHELL: What do you think about that? Would you consider not debating the President?
BIDEN: No. I’m gonna – as long as the commission continues down the straight and narrow as they have, I’m gonna debate him. Now, I know for certain that they’re gonna – I’m gonna try – I’m gonna be a fact checker on the floor while I’m debating him. But, look, one thing that’s gone on so far is the vast majority, with notable exceptions, of the news media have been fact checking the things they have been saying during the convention, it’s just one lie after another, lying, lying, lying, lying, one after another. But the debates are gonna take place. I’ve been recommended to me by a number of very competent people who know they’re way around, including leading Republicans, that I shouldn’t debate Trump unless there’s a fact checker on the ground, I mean in there in the debate saying “That’s true, that’s not true.” But look, I think everybody knows this man is – has a somewhat pathological tendency not to tell the truth.
MITCHELL: Mr. Vice President, I know your time is valuable. Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts with us today.
BIDEN: Thank you for having me, Andrea.
(...)
