And talk about the potential for violence on Election Night and keeping the majority in the senate. This is an hour. Good afternoon, its monday, the day before election day. Im bob. Welcome do Washington Post live and every day today. We are going to hear from two Party Leaders on the front line of this Historic Campaign and hear from senator todd young of indiana. He is the person who is running all the Senate Campaigns tore the republicans as they hold on to their majority and welcome representative jayapal from Washington State and cochair of the progressive caucus in the house and one of those leaders in washington that regardless of who wins will be a voice in the Democratic Party in the years to come and campaigning across the country and two of my colleagues who i have been waiting to hear rom. First, lets go to the headlines. Day before election day. Voters get to decide. Not us, its the voters, you, who get to decide. Hears what im hearing. Number one, the Trump Campaign, republicans are concerned about my home area, philadelphia. They see an erosion at the National Level because of the pandemic. Because of that erosion in the philadelphia suburbs and pennsylvania is so critical, you heard the chants of fire fauci and he is running against the doctors and stoking that base and other parts of the country. All about tasking himself as the candidate of the restless american who wants to reopen the country. The democratic candidate as the shutdown. Thats the last 24 hours, thats the play and you saw the president somewhat encouraging at the chant. Democrats are worried about stoking turnout. They feel very good. Look at all the polls and biden people. And they want another path. If the voters dont come out in milwaukee and philly a the way they need and you could have another path to the white house, the sun belt, arizona, maybe even texas could be in play, but the deep south. Democrats havent won there for a long time and democrats are paying attention to georgia. Democrats are paying to michigan, wisconsin and pennsylvania and sun belt. Lets now welcome congresswoman jayapal. And expected to win another term on tuesday in Washington State and she has been helping Vice President biden in his efforts. Congresswoman jayapal, you are the cochair of the progressive caucus in the house. Great to be back. Why did the Biden Campaign put you into the pennsylvania part of the campaign . Was that about getting the progressives out in philadelphia and other parts of the state . What are you doing and hearing on the ground . Jay scray we decided on our own to pick up pennsylvania. One of the members of congress and not many of us that has an organizing effort on the campaign side. We work not only getting me reelected but other races. And in addition to working on Washington State and key districts here, we had to turn our attention to pennsylvania and adopting pennsylvania to make sure we were turning out progressive voters, voters of olor for biden and harris. Over 600 of them have participated in this effort and made over 140,000 phone calls into pennsylvania in the last 3 1 2 weeks. But in the early weeks we were focused on persuasion and list crening and move people along the scale and addressing some of their concerns that they were either of voting for trump and turning them around or if they werent sure they were going to vote for biden and amazing effort and im proud of our olunteers. Sometimes people describe, bob, the swing voter as the moderate voter or independent voter or republican voter that we want to turn and vote emocrat. Part of the reason they voted for him they and the Progressive Movement has worked with the Bidenharris Campaign and put forward the most progressive platform of any recent Democratic Campaign and true on immigration and climate and health care. D so it is very much about he is going to put progressives in the cabinet. I have a lot of faith that he will but let me just say that we are going to have to fight to keep the floor that we established. And all the way down through. And they say that say. Lets say he comes in the white house. He is a man of tremendous inciple and compassion it showed us where we are as a country and bring about justice and combine that with the reckoning that america is having with our legacy of White Supremacy and anticipateblackness and this is moment where joe biden. Government response on Critical Issues that are essential and is absolutely essential. So we are in a position where we are constantly pushing for more. I like to say that progressives, the definition of being a prove ig we are the first and to the best just idea and everybody else comes along later and look at a 15 minimum wage and it is the mainstream. 10 years ago when seattle was the first major city in the country to pass it, it wasnt. I resist the comparison and what it means for progressives to push hard is that we unify around core ideals that are central to the Democratic Party. At the end of the day in two years in the midterm and four years we have to show voters that there is a massive difference in their lives, in their pocket books, in their ealth care, in their education to their kids and grandkids. A ld trump is not only problem but a symptom but there are too many people on both sides of the aisle hole felt that government was not delivering for them and only cared for the wealthiest and biggest corporations and we have to make sure that nobody thinks about that about the Democratic Party. What are you going to do if President Trump wins a second term . Those are words that we are not thinking about at this moment. We have to do everything we can to inspire people to turn out and make a difference in this election because we have been saying everything is on the line. I know joe biden says character is on the ballot and president obama has said. It is. But more than on the ballot. It is our democracy. This president , if he gets another four years will absolutely destroy the foundations of democracy. We are seeing it now with what he is doing to try to make sure that votes dont count. Votes by democrats and republicans when they challenge drivein voting in texas or absentee ballots that are mailed certain number of days after the licks. When they challenge those things, they are challenging the votes of every american, not just democrats. So i really think that people have to understand this is a power grab and the road to fascism is filled with moments where people could have stood up by and he is being supported republican enablers who allow him to make these kinds of outrageous statements and enact cruel policies. We have to make sure that doesnt happen. I respect that position. The reason i ask is the question, you think the United States could be on a road to fascism if President Trump wins again . I do. And that is why we are doing the preparation work around the election and the challenges that it appears that he is going to be mounting, though i do note hat some republicans are because of the destruction he is doing to the very constitution, the very funnels. We will move into action immediately if that happens, but my point is we are just 36 hours before the election, less than that depending where you are and we have to make sure at this moment, everybody does everything they can to get their ballots in and to fight for our democracy. It doesnt survive on its own but survives with each of us doing our part. You are a plugin to the progressive world. Which states or areas are you most concerned about progressive turnout . Here does it need to be strong look at turnout in texas. Phenomenal turnout in texas. It is possible we turn texas blue. Hat would be in large part changing demographics in texas. Im worried about florida. It is always close and close again this year and we have to make sure that progressives in florida are turning out. Then there are a few quee districts. And we have a lot of interesting races and we have an important race in Congressional District 10 with a strong progressive in that race that im watching closely and it is my home state. Lets go back to a biden washington. What happens if a president elect biden puts a republican in the cabinet, would you be comfortable . It depends which republican and at the end of the day and its about what are the goals we are to achieve. Im not comfortable with a republican who wants to move to privatization of our education system. The socalled movement has not been hopeful to us in fighting for Racial Justice in education or every student to have an opportunity. On Climate Change, if there was a republican who has been good on climate and we have those in our state, we have some of the best climate champions who are republicans. I dont like to say, we dont want any republican, it is trying what we are trying to deliver for people and people who are willing to say no to the big fossil fuel companies and the corp. Companies and not delivering for the people. It is about what we are trying to do and what we are trying to deliver for people. These progressive voters and biden wins, they are going to want something they can point to whether senator sanders as secretary of labor, senator warren secretary of the treasury, maybe yourself in the cabinet. What would you like to see in the cabinet in terms of a progressive leader being installed . I would love to see those two names in the cabinet. Elizabeth warren and Bernie Sanders would put progressives on fire and give credit to a Progressive Movement that has been at the forefront for fighting on gun reform, climate, health care, immigration. I would love to see elizabeth warn and Bernie Sanders. That is important for biden to understand that progressives and young people and folks of color have been under assault for four years by this administration longer in terms of inequities in our country that have put people at their witts end. And i think biden will have to recognize it is important to have strong progressives in the cabinet and make sure they are not in the cabinet and to make sure , theyre not only in the cabinet, but at critical places across the administration. There are a lot of positions that have to be filled and those folks have a lot of influence, even if theyre not of the cabinet level. We are looking for progressives in the cabinet, all the way through the administration, and lets win first, bob,but obviously that is very important a signal to the Progressive Movement that joe biden is committed to what he said in the campaign and that he will deliver justice and equality and opportunity for working families, for the most vulnerable, for folks of color across the country. Robert what about Speaker Pelosi . Will you support her for another term . Rep. Jayapal obviously, it depends on who is running. Robert she is most certainly running. Rep. Jayapal the question is whether or not anyone is running against her. Speaker pelosi, i will support the most progressive candidate. I cant see a challenge to Speaker Pelosi that maybe there is someone planning to run that i dont know. Again, lets get through the election and lets make sure that were putting in place all of the pieces that we will need to really deliver relief and opportunity to americans across the country. Robert are you going to run for leadership . Rep. Jayapal im running for chair of the progressive caucus. That is what i am doing right now. I am hopeful that we can bring in an even more progressive house across the country. The progressive caucus this year and our pac has become bigger and stronger, but we have more to do. I am very committed to making sure we have built the infrastructure on the inside that we need for progressive policies to win. Robert what is your advice to progressives nationwide in the wake of the selection, regardless of what happens on tuesday night if there are still counting to be done in certain states, if there is unhappiness with President Trumps handling of Election Night, what is your advice broadly to progressives about how to handle this fragile moment in american democracy . Robert dont stop. Dont stop. Dont agonize, organize. Whatever the situation is, we will be ready to take it on. We will immediately go through and call our volunteers have volunteered on the campaign, thousands of people, and say to them, what are the key issues you are most interested in . We will have our own database of when we can call on people to fight for particular issues that theyre passionate about. I think this is the lesson of democracy. It is not a once in two years years ever. It is not a once in four years effort. I know people are tired from four years of cruelty and exhausting rhetoric and targeting and hatred and constitutiondestroying efforts. But what i would say to people, electing joe biden and Kamala Harris is the first step but we have a lot of work to do once that happens. A Bidenharris Administration will need our help. The people across this country, the 87 million who were uninsured or underinsured even before covid hit combined with another 12 million that are still uninsured because they lost their jobs, those people need us to continue to fight for them. The people across this country, frankly, across the world, who are dealing with the effects of Climate Change i live in the west. We had record fires that have destroyed homes and destroyed dreams and destroyed forests. We have to do with the urgent situation of Climate Change with a Climate Justice proposal. There are so many things for us to do. I want people to know your work is your power. Your vote is your power. Your organizing is your power. There is no change in the history of our country or the world that ever happens without people exercising that power every day of the year. Robert where will you be on Election Night . Rep. Jayapal i will be here in seattle. Were going to do some firing up of our troops and also do a little Election Night party. I think we are all on pins and needles. I feel that this year is qualitatively different than four years ago. I feel people are turning out and we just have to go this last mile. We have to elect joe biden and Kamala Harris. We have to ditch mitch in the senate. We have to deliver a more progressive house to the people, for the people. That is what im trying to help people stay on the bandwagon and get this last piece done. Robert in cities like seattle, i know here in washington, d. C. , worried about violence on Election Night. People are boarding up businesses. Are you concerned about violence . Rep. Jayapal i am always concerned based on what the president says and encourages. When he tells the proud boys to standby, stand back and standby, that is concerning. When he says theres nothing wrong with people trying to push the bidenharris bus off the freeway, that is concerning. When he allows crowds to chant fire fauci, who is the nations truth teller on covid19, that is deeply concerned. He has fomenting violence. Yes, i am concerned. I am telling everybody here in seattle, anyone who will listen to me, that our path is through nonviolent action. We cannot give in to the forces of violence. I think the reality is, there are a lot of people who if the president steps in and tries to declare himself the winner or tries to still the election, then we are in the throes of taking on a dictator, not a democratically elected president. And at that point, all bets are off. Robert what do you mean by that, all bets are off . Rep. Jayapal it means you cannot control the anger that people will have if they see a democracy being thwarted by the president of the United States. So were telling everybody to stay calm, the election will likely not be decided on Election Night. Do not listen to the president of the United States. Republicans need to speak out loudly and clearly to say the same thing and stop fomenting violence, stuff protecting this president who has done nothing but add to the divisiveness and encouraged violent White Supremacy, violent action across the country. Robert Congress Woman jayapal, i appreciate your time this afternoon on the people of the election. Cochair of the progressive caucus from Washington State. We will be keeping an eye on your activities in the lameduck and next year regardless of who is in the white house. Hope you come again. Rep. Jayapal thank you so much, bob. Robert we will welcome Senatorial Committee senator todd young of indiana for just in a few minutes. I want to check in with dave weigle, longtime writer, and our polling analyst at the Washington Post. Emily, dave, great to have you here. How many cups of coffee had been you had today . Emily i started with no caffeine. Low caffeine. Dave i had two and i drink a third of a third one. Robert dave, where are you . Dave i am back in washington. I got back late yesterday evening. We have people around the country talking to voters and watching for anything that could happen. I was going back to help write a couple of bigger pieces as we get ready for tomorrow. Robert lets start there, emily. Minnesota has gotten a little more attention in recent days. Whats your read on minnesota and the upper midwest . Emily poll averages put our website is on the elections homepage right now. We have a bunch of different states that people are looking at right now, the key battleground states, as weve been calling them. The minnesota average it may not be on their. We havent seen polls in minnesota in a really long time. The last polls that meet post standards were late september. If we look at some other states around there, that could give us a good idea of whats going on in the midwest. Michigan, wisconsin, everything around there. Robert what are you seeing, emily, in michigan, in particular . Emily our poll advertise biden looking pretty good our poll average has biden looking pretty good. A 12point lead for biden over trump. Thats a state that will tell us a lot about whats going to happen. If the counts come in early, it might bode well for biden. Robert dave, what are you paying attention to on monday, the day before . Dave well, when it comes to the midwest, similar to what emily was saying, i got to see a little bit on the ground. Im looking for what campaigns think, more than what public polling says. There are some races where good public polling hasnt been done. In minnesota, democrats are very confident of the turnout operation. They have gotten the whole universe of people who need to return balance. Their internal polling shows the state is fine. I almost want a reallife shortcut key to say, in case the polls are wildly wrong. In minnesota, in terms of turnout, increasing over margins from last time, i was with Representative Ilhan Omar in minneapolis, where they are breaking records. I saw some of the canvassing myself. People who were not that happy about four years ago, i met two people who didnt vote in 2016 who will vote this time for joe biden. There is some of that on the republican side. The map in the state math in that state is the gains trump could make in greater minnesota are less than what republicans have been losing in the suburbs of minneapolis and st. Paul. Im looking for the same people to game this out everywhere. Im watching some of the lastminute legal motions. Theres whats happening before the election, like this lawsuit in texas today. Theres whats going to come after the election. A lot of this, if the basis is not a state Supreme Court ruling or the legislator being definitive, the judges, even conservative judges, have been defaulting to what were the rules that help voters at a particular time. Minnesota and wisconsin being an exception, in terms of votes that might come in late. Its not exciting to watch on the ground. Its not as fun as a rally, i guess, but it is important to watch whats being filed. More of the Biden Campaign more of the Trump Campaign than the Biden Campaign. The former dni he shared a photo of joe biden from 2019 to make it look like he wasnt wearing a mask on a plane. You had the Trump Campaign tweeting out how biden will get rid of the washington monument. Anything that looks bad. This is not the first election where people will look for video outside of a polling place and show say this proves theres fraud happening. A lot of debunking is going to be necessary, i think. Emily, dave brought up a point about minnesota. Even if trump does better in the exurban parts of the state,s support has eroded state, his support has eroded in the urban parts of the state. Emily suburbs are really important in all of our elections. A lot of americans live in the suburbs. They are not a monolith. When we hear trump say things like he wants to get suburban womens vote, i think he sees that group as more homogenous than perhaps they are. There is diversity in our suburbs. There are more people of color who live in america suburbs now than ever before. People of different income levels and backgrounds. We take you live to miami where former president barack obama is holding a rally with supporters in support of joe biden. Es. Obama thank you. , you guys. Can everyone please give a please they ground of applause to that was fantastic. Let me just tell you i love nurses. Hey, you you know, i think we have all had the experience when a loved one has gotten sick. Like,mber when sasha was, four months old, and
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