Transcripts For CSPAN Campaign 2020 Sen. Bernie Sanders I-VT

Person political event since ending his 2020 president campaign. Held in washington, d. C. , this is half an hour. Sen. Sanders let me thank all of you for being here this afternoon. This country faces an unprecedented set of crises. We are struggling with a pandemic that has already cost us over 200,000 lives. We have an economy in which we have a grotesque level of income and wealth inequality, where the middle class today is being decimated, where millions of workers have lost their jobs, and half of our people continue to work paychecktopaycheck. We are living in a moment when Climate Change is ravaging this planet, leading to massive wildfires in the west coast, drought, and unprecedented levels of extreme weather disturbances across the globe. We are the only major country on earth not to guarantee healthcare to all people as a human right. Over 90 million americans are uninsured or underinsured, and we pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. All of these issues, and others, are enormously important, and should be the issues that are being debated in this campaign. But today, i am not going to talk about any of them. What i am going to talk about is something that, in my wildest dreams, i never thought i would be discussing. And that is the need to make certain that the president of the United States, if he loses this election, with abide by the will of the voters and leave office peacefully. What i will be discussing today is the danger that this country faces from a president who is a pathological liar, who has strong authoritarian tendencies, who neither understands nor respects our constitution. Who is prepared to undermine americans democracy in order to stay in power. With less than six weeks left to go in this campaign, it is my hope that all americans, democrats, republicans, independents, progressives, moderates, conservatives, come together to defend american democracy, our constitution, and the rule of law. We must ensure, in this unprecedented moment in American History, that this is an election that is free and fair, an election in which voters are not intimidated, an election in which all votes are counted, and an election in which the loser accepts the results. This is not just an election between donald trump and joe biden. This is an election between donald trump and democracy. And democracy must win. The United States is the oldest continuous democracy in the modern world. We held elections in the middle of a civil war in 1864. We held free and Fair Elections during the Great Depression and world war ii. After all of those elections, amid extremely difficult circumstances, the loser acknowledged defeat, and the winner was inaugurated and took office. That is what the United States of america is all about. That is what democracy is all about. But today, under donald trump, we have a president who has little respect for our constitution or the rule of law. Today, that peaceful transition of power, the bedrock of american democracy, is being threatened like never before. I am not in the habit of quoting formernald reagan, reagan, but iald think something he said in his first inaugural address makes a point about how important, how precious is this part of our heritage. And i quote ronald reagan, the orderly transfer of authority, as called for in the constitution, routinely takes place as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us thought to think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many in the world, this every four year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle. Protecting this orderly transfer of authority, as president reagan characterized it, this miracle, is absolutely essential if we, together, all of us, republicans, democrats, independents, want to keep faith with the american ideals we hold so dear. And with the sacrifices that so many made in order to protect our democracy. And in that regard, i think it is terribly important that we actually listen to and take seriously what donald trump is saying. Several weeks ago, speaking at the Republican National convention, trump said, the only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election. What is remarkable about that statement is that he made it at a time when almost every National Poll had him behind. When he was trailing in most battleground states. Think about what that statement means. Think hard about what that statement means. What he is saying is that if he wins the election, thats great, but if he loses, it is rigged. Because the only way he can lose is if it is rigged. And if it is rigged, then he is not leaving office. Heads, i win, tails, you lose. In trumps mind, there is no conceivable way he can lose. Conceivable way that he should leave office. Becoming the first president in the history of this country to refuse to commit to a peaceful transmission of power if he loses an election. When asked by a reporter in the White House Briefing room will you commit here today to a peaceful transfer of power after the election, trump responded we are going to have to see what happens. You know that i have been complaining very strongly about the balance. We want to get rid of the ballots and you will have a very peaceful there wont be a transfer, frankly, there will be a continuation. Choice. Not his that is for the American People to determine. Let us be very clear. There is nothing in our constitution or in our laws that gives donald trump the privilege of deciding whether or not he will be he will step aside if he loses. States, the president does not determine who can or and what ballots will be counted. That may be what his friend, putin, does in russia, it may be what is done in other authoritarian countries, but it is not and will not be done in america. This is a democracy. I do understand that donald trump is a billionaire, or so he tells us. He was born in a very wealthy family. From his earliest days, was able to get anything he wanted, because his family was rich, and his family was powerful. I do understand that when youre rich and powerful, you dont have to pay taxes like ordinary people, and it is easy for you to avoid the military draft. I do understand that when you are rich and you are powerful, you can buy politicians and get hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate welfare for your real estate empire. But this, i also understand, no matter how rich or powerful you may be, no matter how arrogant and narcissistic you may be, no matter how much you think you can get anything you want, let me make this clear to donald trump too many people have fought and died to defend american democracy, and you are not going to destroy it. The American People will not allow that to happen. Despite all of the evidence, trump continues to be obsessed with the belief that there is massive voter fraud in this country. In 2017, after he won the presidency, trump insisted that he would have won the popular vote if millions of illegal votes had not been cast. There is absolutely no evidence of that being true. It is preposterous to believe that millions of votes or any significant number of votes at all were cast illegally. This is an assertion supported by no one, not democratic officials, not republican officials no one. And yet, that is what trump said after he won. There have been numerous studies done on the issue of voter fraud in our country. They have all concluded, essentially, in the same way voter fraud in the u. S. Is extremely rare. A study by Dartmouth University found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election. An article in the New York Times from 2016 stated, in an election in which more than 137 million americans cast ballots, Election Officials in the district of columbia, democratic leaning, republican leaning, and in between, said that so far, they knew of no credible allegations of fraudulent voting. Officials in another eight states said they knew of only one allegation. In georgia, where more than four Million People cast ballots, officials said they were opening inquiries and 25 cases into suspicious voting. But inquiries to all 50 states everyone but kansas responded found no states that reported indication of widespread fraud. One report reviewed elections that had been studied for voter fraud. The report concluded it is more likely that an American Voter will be struck by lightning than impersonate another voter at the polls. Even the conservative Heritage Foundation could only find 143 criminal convictions in voter fraud out of 250 million mailin votes cast over the past 20 years. A rate of 0. 0006 . But you dont have to trust me on this issue. Benjamin ginsberg, a man who played a major role in the Republican Party in the 2000 florida recount, and who cochaired the bipartisan 2013 president ial commission on election administration, recently wrote in the washington post, the truth is, after decades of looking for illegal voting, there is no proof of widespread fraud. At most, there are isolated incidents by both democrats and republicans. Elections are not rigged. Let me repeat, from one of the Republican Partys leading experts on election the truth is, that after decades of looking for illegal voting, there is no proof of widespread fraud. At most, there are isolated incidents by both democrats and republicans. Elections are not rigged. And even if the statement of mr. Ginsberg is not good enough for you, here is what the trump administrations own Voting Integrity Commission reported. According to an analysis of administrative documents by the associated press, trumps commission uncovered no evidence to support claims of widespread voter fraud. And they disbanded in 2018. Even the Republican Senate majority leader, mitch mcconnell, said, many parts of our country vote by mail. Oregon, washington, and colorado have voted by mail for years. And yet, we have a president today who called mailin ballots a hoax and a scam. Trumps strategy to delegitimize the election and stay in office if he loses is not obligated. Falling behind in many polls, he is attempting massive Voter Suppression. He and his republican colleagues are doing everything they can to make it harder and harder for people to vote. In addition, he is sowing the seeds of chaos, confusion, and conspiracy theories by casting doubt on the integrity of this election. And if he loses, justifying why he should remain in office. In an interview on fox news, trump refused to say he would leave office if he lost. Asked to give a direct answer on whether he would accept the Election Results, he said we will have to see. That is pretty much what he said. In the middle of a pandemic, donald trump made clear that he wants to defund the Postal Service in order to limit the use of mailin ballots. He had an interview on august 13th, discussing a possible deal for a relief package that would have funded the United States Postal Service. Trump let the cat out of the bag by admitting that if we do not make a deal, that means they do not get the money. That means they cant have universal mailin voting, they just cant have it. What donald trump is saying to tens of millions of americans is that at a time when over 200,000 of our people have already died from the coronavirus, you have a choice. You can either risk your health, or even your life, by walking into a voting booth, or you cant vote. How outrageous, how disgraceful is that . Amazingly, at the very same time, trump is making completely baseless allegations about voter fraud. Last month, he urged his supporters in North Carolina to try voting twice, which among other things, is a felony. In order to advance his plan for mass Voter Suppression, the Trump Campaign filed a lawsuit in nevada, which fortunately, was dismissed, challenging the states mailin voting laws. In july, trump used false claims of voter fraud to propose delaying this years election, which he obviously does not have the power to do. This was so outrageous, that stephen c. , the cofounder of the conservative federalist society, wrote that it was grounds for the president s immediate impeachment by the house of representatives. And his removal from office by the senate. Last week, trump told the supporters of a rally in nevada that hed like to serve a third term, which is a violation of the constitutions 22nd amendment. On saturday, trump suggested suggested to supporters in North Carolina that he would sign an executive order to prevent joe biden from becoming president. Trump has also urged his supporters to become poll watchers. But what he is really saying is that he wants his supporters, some of whom are members of armed militias, to intimidate voters. We are already seeing this in virginia, where early voters were confronted by trump supporters, and Election Officials said that voters and polling staff felt intimidated. Every day, over and over again, trump is making it harder for the American People to participate in the political process, and is attempting to delegitimize the outcome of this election. So that if he loses, he can remain in office. The concerns i am raising today are not mine alone mr. Taylor, a lifelong republican, who previously served as chief of staff inside the trump Administrations Department of homeland security, warned that there is nothing that trump will not do or say to defeat biden. This is what he said, put nothing past donald trump. He will do anything to win. If that means climbing over other people, climbing over his own people, or climbing over u. S. Law, he will do it. People are right to be concerned. I agree with mr. Taylor. I am very concerned. Lastly, my former senate colleague, dan coats, trumps own former director of national intelligence, published a piece in the New York Times calling for a high level, bipartisan and nonpartisan commission to oversee the election to reassure all americans that its being carried out fairly. He wrote, the most urgent task american leaders face is to ensure that the Election Results are accepted as legitimate. Electoral legitimacy is the linchpin of our entire political culture. We should see the challenge clearly in advance and take immediate action to respond. That is dan coats, the former intelligence director of donald trump. I could not agree more. I strongly second his call for this election commission. Last week, chuck shumer and i sent a letter to senator mcconnell, urging him to hold hearings on the issue of election and postelection security. Senator schumer and i stated, we would like to hear from the most knowledgeable people in the country as to how we can do Everything Possible to make sure that the election and the period afterward are secure and peaceful. Today, i call on every elected official in america, whether they be republican, democrat, or independent, to vigorously oppose Voter Suppression and voter intimidation. To make sure that every vote is counted, and that no one is declared the winner until those votes are counted. And to my republican colleagues in the congress, please, do not continue to tell the American People how much you love america, if at this critical moment, you are not prepared to stand up to defend american democracy and our way of life. Stop the hypocrisy. With or without donald trump, this election is unique in American History, because it is taking place during a pandemic and a Public Health crisis. As a result, states all over america are taking the appropriate steps to ensure more americans can safely vote by mail in their own homes, instead of risking their health or their lives to vote in person. The result is, this election will see, by far, the largest number of mailin ballots ever. Lets be clear, despite what donald trump says, voting by mail is not a new or dangerous idea, colorado, hawaii, washington, and utah conduct their elections almost entirely by mail. California, nevada, new jersey, the district of columbia, and vermont have pledged to mail ballots to all registered voters for the upcoming election. Many other states are making it easier, for obvious reasons, to vote by mail. Trump himself, as well as his administration, have repeatedly voted by mail. Members of the United States military have regularly voted by mail since the 1800s. Given the significant increase in mailin ballots, why, you might ask, are trump and his allies trying to attack the integrity of our vote by mail system . The answer is Pretty Simple a number of studies have shown that for whatever reason, republicans are more likely to vote in person, while democrats are more likely to use mailin ballots. In fact, one poll found that only about a quarter of biden supporters would vote in person on election day, while some two thirds of trump voters plan to vote in person. If trump can undermine peoples confidence in the validity of votes cast by mail, he will be calling into question the validity of votes that may overwhelmingly support joe biden. Let us consider the following scenario, a scenario which i hope very much never takes place. On election night, trump is ahead on many battleground states, based on the votes of those who voted in person on election day. All across the television screens, people see trump ahead before they turn in for the night. But as more and more mailin ballots are counted, trumps le