Quotables
Joe Biden tells MSNBC's Joy Reid he's already vetted 4 VP candidates, will 'narrow the list' soon
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was the main guest on Joy Reid's inaugural MSNBC prime time show Monday, and she tried to get him to divulge more information on who he might pick as his running mate. She had some general suggestions, too.
"Black women, in particular, have been the heartbeat of the Democratic Party for a long time," Reid said. "Are you committed to naming a Black woman as your vice presidential running mate?" He wasn't. "I am not committed to naming any but the people I've named, but among them there are four Black women," Biden said. "So that decision is underway right now." He did "guarantee" and "promise," however, that his administration "will look like America, both from vice president to Supreme Court to Cabinet positions to every major position in the White House."
"Have you narrowed down your choices?" Reid asked. "We've gone through about four candidates so far," Biden said, "and then when I get all the vetting done of all the candidates, then I'm going to narrow the list and then we'll see, and then I'm gonna have personal discussions with each of the candidates who are left and make a decision."
Reid began the show by playing clips from Chris Wallace's interview of President Trump on Fox News Sunday, then asking for Biden's reaction. She first showed Trump claiming that regarding the coronavirus pandemic, "no other country has done what we've done in testing — we are the envy of the world." "I think he's right," Biden said. "No country has ever done what we've done: walk away. There is no leadership here. He actually has zero, zero. He surrendered. ... He was gonna be a wartime president, fighting this virus. Well, he raised the white flag. He has no idea what to do. Zero. It's only one thing he has in mind: How does he win re-election? And it doesn't matter how many people get COVID and/or die from COVID." Watch below. Peter Weber