Appearances and tv appearances and online fundraisers. President trump has used twitter and, as usual, news conferences and others to make his pitch to voters. But covid19 hasnt put an end, of course, to political controversies. Biden has made a series of somewhat puzzling interventions, most notably for saying no true africanamerican could vote for the president. Theres a long way until november. Weve got more questions i cant wait. If you have a problem figuring out whether youre for me or trump, then you aint black. Gerry for his part, the president has been denouncing social Media Companies and has gotten into fights with state governors and others, pushing questionable critique it is of mailin ballot frauds. And hes returned to a consistent theme president obama, Vice President biden and others in their administration were involved in a conspiracy against his 2016 campaign as well as key trump advisers such as general michael flynn, the president s First National security adviser. At one point he tweeted obamagate makes watergate look like small potatoes. All this was happening as covid19 continued to take american lives with the total now topping 100,000. The numbers are trending downwards and, thankfully, almost all of the country is now open for business in a limited way free from shutdowns that have damaged the economy enormously. That will surely have come as a relief for the white house where renewed signs of economic strength are absolutely critical to the president s reelection. Biden has been trying to paint the president as an inept leader who reacted way too slowly to the pandemic. This week, race rose to prominence following the death of a black suspect under the hands of a white Police Officer in minneapolis which has led to violent protests there and elsewhere in the country. How will the coronavirus and what happened in minneapolis impact the election . Can the president convince the electorate that he can shepherd an economic comeback . And what about bidens stumbles . Plus, the former Vice President now faces perhaps his biggest decision yet, who will be his running mate . To discuss that and much more is valerie jarrett, one of president obamas most trusted Senior Adviser. She served for all eight Years Holding the title of trekker for intergovernmental director of intergovernmental affairs. And shes author of the recentlyupdated book finding my voice when the perfect plan crumbles, the adventure begins. Ms. Jarrett, thank you very much, indeed, for joining us. Im delighted to be joining you. Gerry the return of interest in the russia investigation, earlier this month general michael flynn, the Justice Department asked the court to drop the charges of lying to the fbi, general michael flynn, that process goes on. President obama, your former boss, described that decision, it was reported, as a very questionable one, one that brought into the question the whole rule of law here in the united states. Let me start by asking just a very simple question. You were with president obama very closely all that time. When did president obama first know about the fbi investigation of general flynn . That i do not know. But i think the point president obama was trying to make very clearly is that this is the first time that were aware of where someone has lied to the fbi, admitted that they lied, pled guilty and then had the Justice Department drop the charges. And thats just an astonishing result. We rely on the Justice System to work as planned. You cannot lie to the fbi, and certainly not when you admit your guilt. So its a very troubling precedent thats been set by this attorney general. Gerry do you know why Michael Flynns conversation with the Russian Ambassador at the end of, right at the end of 2016 during the transition period when he was President Trumps designated expected National Security adviser, do you know why his conversation with the Russian Ambassador was listened to, was recorded and became critical to evidence against hi . You know what, im not going to get into conversations that can lead into classified territory. But suffice to say that i think that what the fbi did by interviewing him and discussing those conversations and then indicting him and him pleading guilty is really all you need to know about the subject. Gerry did you, did you believe that this investigation, obviously, was started the russia, the broader russia investigation started in the middle of 2016 during the president ial campaign that year. Did you believe that the president , that the Trump Campaign was actively cooperating with the russians . Im not going to give you my personal opinion. I can say one thing that ill think would i think would inform your viewers and that investigations while president obama was in office were run by the Justice Department with no direction or interference from the white house. And i think thats an important point because we, i think part of the rule of law really depends on the separation, having an independent Justice Department, having an independent fbi. Certain information would be given to the white house, but the white house did not direct or influence any investigations over our eight years. Of that, i am sure. Gerry there was some evidence learned subsequently, for example, from lisa page, one of the fbi officials involved, Text Messages saying the president , potus wants to know, potus wants to be kept informed. Was that proper . Oh, absolutely. It was very normal for the, for the white house to be briefed on ongoing issues if they were ones that were marley sensitive. But the point particularly sensitive. There was no direction given back, and thats a very important distinction. Gerry as you look back on that whole episode, weve seen from various reports that efforts, pretty aggressive efforts were made, the investigation started as a result of some conversations that took place overseas with suggestions that perhaps there might be some with we know about the way the Justice Department, the fbi behaved with regard to the fisa applications, tapping the communications of one of President Trumps advisers. None of that led anywhere. None of that led to and some of those the, some of those fisa warrants were obtained on the basis of information that wasnt really quite kosher, wasnt correct, wasnt given to judge fully. Do you think that overall that investigation really looking back on it was conducted fairly . Look, i do. Im not saying that everything is perfect, but i do have a lot of confidence in the way our independent Justice Department and fbi to their business. Gerry thank you. We just need to take a very short break. Coming up, i want to get your insight on broader political topics and particularly how the president ial race is shaping up. Stay witititit gerry my guest is former Senior Adviser to pram president obama, valerie jarrett. Ms. Jarrett, weve seen some pretty disturbing seens this week on our scenes this week on our screens. Firstly, of course, the shocking death of george floyd, the africanamerican man at the hands of a white Police Officer in Police Custody in minneapolis, i think, has disturbed people across the nation, whatever political position they may hold. And, now, of course, followed by protests across the country, the burping of a Police Precinct burning of a Police Precinct building in minneapolis. What do we needed to do to deescalate this . First of all, let me say to the family of george floyd, my heartbreaks for you. It was gutwrenching to watch that video, and its one of a series of videos that we have seen over the course of the last several years. Lets face it, before there were cell cameras, there were examples that didnt get captured on video. So this is a huge problem of a breakdown of trust between police and communities of color. Every black family i know who has a son worries about how theyre going to fare when they leave the house, and now weve seen examples where you dont even have to leave your house when youre put in harms way. Although i believe in peaceful demonstrations, i think these riots are symptomatic of a boiling over of anger that has been building up for generations where people have lost confidence that the Justice System will actually be just, that the rule of law will protect them. I think we have to deescalate. I can give you an example when there were riots after the death of Michael Brown in st. Louis, in ferguson, missouri. Our attorney general went to the scene, eric holder flew there, he brought his team on the ground to try to quell the unrest and to bridge the gulf between police and the community, to try to rebuild the trust. President obama created a 21st Century Task Force that made very concrete recommendations, gerry, about how to go about rebuilding that trust recognizing the microcosm of our community but the responsibility that falls on police is a higher responsibility, and they deserve to go home safe as well. That trust works both ways. So what i would like to see is a better tone at the top, not one thats threatening violence and using guns to help quell this unrest; but, rather, constructively sit down and say what can we do to bridge this gulf, how do we heal, how do we grow as a country and how do we end racism once and for all. Gerry let me get on to the specific politics because were in a president ial election year. Obviously, this is looming large. A very specific question. Former Vice President biden, likely democratic nominee, hes looking for a Vice President ial pick. He said hell pick a woman. There are a number of candidates. One of the candidates everybody talks about is amy klobuchar, senator from minnesota, but she has a bit of a background, perhaps a lack of trust with some people in the Africanamerican Community from her position as a prosecutor in minnesota. Do you think whats going on and whats been going on in minneapolis this week makes it very, very hard for Vice President biden to pick her . First, let me say, having had the opportunity privilege, i should say, of working with Vice President biden every day for eight years, he is exactly the person that i think our country needs as we come out of this pandemic and as we come out of the atrocious incidents that have been happening around the country to rebuild our country both in spirit and in terms of our economy. He did it before. He did it under the recovery act when president obama ghei him the gave him the task of figuring out how to jumpstart our economy in 2009. So i have complete confidence in him. And i have confidence that hes going to pick the right running mate for him having had the job himself, having had the relationship he had with president obama one based in trust and respect, where his counsel was sought and appreciated. Im not going to second guess him, im not going to handicap any particular candidate. I have confident that joe will be the right decision gerry considering the circumstances, do you think he should pick an africanamerican woman, a back woman . I think thats up to him. I think that there are plenty he has an embarrassment of riches of candidates in the group that he has identified, women. Theyre certainly qualified africanamerican women in that category as well, and i think he should with given the space be given the pace to decide on his own who gerry you dont think whats going on in minnesota then necessarily should be held, should be disqualifying for amy klobuchar, for example . Im not going to get into that with you, gerry, thats up to him. Senate klobuchar has a long and robust record, part of a a vetting process that i know Vice President biden has underway right now is to take a look at the potential candidates and weigh their strengths and weaknesses, and i have confidence they will do that, and i dont want to get ahead of those decisions right now. Gerry one more quick break, and just ahead i want to talk more about the president ial election, also what you learned from working so closely with president obama. Stay with us. Introducing new voltaren arthritis pain gel, the first and only full prescription strength nonsteroidal antiinflammatory gel available overthecounter. New voltaren is powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel. Voltaren. The joy of movement. New voltaren is powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel. Wthe Natural Light is amazing. Hardwood floors. There is a bit of a clogging problem. clog dancing at least geico makes it easy to bundle our renters and car insurance. Yeah, helping us save us even more. 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Gerry im back with former Obama White House adviser valerie jarrett. Ms. Jarrett, let me first show you a poll that was taken just earlier this month by usa today, suffolk poll, and it shows the intentions of Bernie Sanders supporters from the primary. At least so far, only just three of quarters threequarters say theyre going to vote for joe biden, but others say theyd pick a third party candidate. Thats a smaller portion saying they will support joe biden than back in 2016 said they would support Hillary Clinton at this stage. Does joe biden have a problem energizing and bringing those voters along with him in november . He has plenty of time between now and november. I know that hes anxious to get out there on the campaign trail and earn the vote. If he didnt do cant do it in person, hes going to do it virtually. He knows its his responsibility to win over every possible supporter of Bernie Sanders and donald trump. He recognizes you win with a big tent. Thats how president obama won not just once, but twice. So i think ive been very, very impressed with the way senator sanders and all the other folks who ran against Vice President biden in the primary have come onboard and are his surrogates. And i know hes hoping they will help. Its his responsibility to earn those votes. I stopped paying attention to polls a long time ago. I remember a poll that showed president obama was up by 12 points in New Hampshire in 08x he lost. So i dont take a lot of gerry i know [inaudible conversations] its a fair point. People they love them. But the point im making is that the Vice President has to earn every single vote, and i know hes up for that challenge. Let me show you a quote from Stan Greenberg in politico saying the biggest threat to democrats is the lack of support and disengagement of my e eleven yalls and the fragmentation of nonbiden primary voters. Normally in the general election a candidate moves from perhaps, perhapses the left to attract voters in the primary to the center to attract voters in the middle of the country. Does biden have to go the other way . Does he actually have to appeal to more liberal voters, to those millennials in order to get them to come out and vote for him . I think part of what i love about joe biden is his authenticity. He is not moving right or left. Hes listening and hes been very receptive to advice and counsel that has come from those who were in the primary who were progressive voices, and i think youre going to see reflected in his policies, policies that help all of america. These should not be political issues. Were rebuilding our economy, making sure that we are safe, making sure that we are prepared for the next wave of a pandemic should it occur. This is what i think people are looking to in a president , and the tone that Vice President biden will set from the top, i think, will help heal our country and bring ugh together. Us together. I really look at his overall approach to governing the country, and i think it will resonate broadly. Gerry finally, ms. Jarrett, you published a book, just come out in paperbackment you changed the time a little bit, its about your life story, essentially. You worked with president obama very, very closely, and then worked in the white house. Theres one message that you get over for people trying to learn from what youve learned what is it . What comes across in the book . Well, i think part of the message i was trying to deliver in the book is that, look, its not what happens to you, its what you do about it. I had a very deliberate plan, a tenyear plan that i was off and running on, and as it turned out, it crumbled. So what do you do when your plans dont go that way. I think a lot of us are facing that right now. No one expected to be in the middle of a pandemic. How are you prepared to move forward, do you surround yourself with good people, and are you willing to take calculated risks . I found my voice in local government, gerry, working for the mayor for the city of chicago, and i learned how to advocate, and i learned how to listen. I brought that skill set to the white house knowing president obama appreciated his role was to lead, but you have to lead with engagement. You have to lead by listening to the people who surround you and the voices, often those who disagree with you are the ones who should be listened to most closely. And i learned so i learned a lot over the course of my career, and all those lessons are reflected in my story in my book. Gerry thank you very much, indeed, to valerie jarrett. Once more, the book is entitled finding my voice when the perfect plan crumbles, the adventure begins. Up next, the president picks a fight with social Media Companies. Ill explain why we should all care about that. How they gonna pay for this . They will, but with accident forgiveness allstate wont raise your rates just because of an accident. Cut is that good . No you were talking about allstate and. I just. When i. Accident forgiveness from allstate. Click or call for a quote today. Lets be honest. Quitting smoking is hard. Like, quitting every monday hard. Quitting feels so big. So try making it smaller, and youll be surprised at how easily starting small can lead to something big. Start stopping with nicorette. Starting small can lead to something big. There are times when our need to connect really matters. To keep customers and employees in the know. To keep business moving. Comcast business is prepared for times like these. Powered by the nations largest gigspeed network. To help give you the speed, reliability, and security you need. Tools to manage your business from any device, anywhere. And a team of experts here for you 24 7. Weve always believed in the power of working together. Thats why, when every connection counts. You can count on us. Gerry this week President Trump step up his battle with social Media Companies. After twitter took the unusual step of sticking fact check labels on a couple of the president s tweets, he issued an executive order. The next day twitter flagged another of his tweets, this time about the violence in minneapolis. The president , of course, has used social media very effectively to promote his agenda. This has outraged many of his opponents who wants Companies Like twitter and facebook to rein in some of the more questionable things he says, and sometimes, to be fair, he does spread misinformation. He shouldnt be promoting ugly conspiracy theories about talk show thoses, for example hosts, for example, but the social Media Companies would like us to believe theyre not putting in bias. Twitter hasnt applies the fact check to any other politicians tweets. We learned this week, too, that the top guy at twitter whos responsible supposedly for site integrity has tweeted viciously disapparentlying things answer President Trump, people who work for him, people who vote for him and just about anyone who disagrees with the liberal consensus. Theyre dominated by the narrow selection of voices that run most of the rest of our media, what hope to we really have for a fair and wellinformed political discussion . Thats it for this week. Be sure to follow me on twitter, facebook and instagram, and ill be back next week with more indepth interviews right here onjournal at large. Thank you for joining us. Barrons roundtable sponsored by jack welcome to barrons roundtable where we prepare you for the week ahead. Im jack otter. We begin with what we think are the three most important things investors should be thinking about right now. Renewed concerns over tensions with china and regulating big ten. President trump signing an executive order targeting social Media Companies after a tiff with twitter. What happens next . Stocks from airlines, cruise lines and hotels climbing as meshes think about traveling again. Americans think about traveling again. And professional sports may