Campaign 2020 Exclusive: One-on-one with Joe Biden
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) – In an exclusive one-on-one interview with CBS 58, presumptive democratic nominee Joe Biden says he plans on making his presence felt in Wisconsin through frequent events in order to win back the state that President Trump won in 2016 by fewer than 23,000 votes.
“I have to earn the votes, I have to make it clear. I need the votes.” Biden said in a remote interview. “I’m going to be there. If I can’t be there in person, I’m going to be there [virtually] as often as I can be making the case why we can build this country back better and stronger with Wisconsin as a lead in this effort.”
Hillary Clinton’s loss in the Badger State in 2016 was attributed partly to lower turnout among Black voters and surges for Trump among White suburban and rural voters. Biden touts his success with Black voters as well as his focus on economic areas like manufacturing as reasons he can cater to both sets of voters in the November election.
“I think the people of Wisconsin know we need real leadership back in the White House,” Biden said. “[…] A president that not only steadily leads them through this crisis but also will help them build back and build back better a more resilient economy.”
Plans for the economy’s recovery from the pandemic has taken center stage among priorities for voters and will likely be among the deciding factors between Biden and Trump. In recent weeks, Biden has rolled out parts of his economic recovery plan – branded as ‘Build Back Better’ – and on Tuesday presented a plan focusing on what he calls the caregiving economy.
“Too many folks are caring for kids and aging parents like I did,” Biden said. “I was a single dad for a long time. The joy and love are always there but it’s hard. It’s really, really hard.”
The former vice president says there is a crisis with caregiving in the country and hopes his plan can address the issue while also bolstering the economy, which has seen such issues only magnified during the pandemic.
“Too many [people] are sitting in the kitchen table now faced with an impossible choice,” Biden said. “Do I stay home and take care of my kids and my parents or do I go to work and earn a paycheck? We need to ease that squeeze on working families.”
The Biden campaign plans on accomplishing its goal through a combination of tax credits and job creation that focus on care for children, seniors and people with disabilities.
“We’re in a position where it’s going to generate economic growth, not just the GDP but generate economic mobility and movement. I think it’s an important piece of what we have to do,” Biden said.
The Biden campaign said it would cost $775 billion over 10 years and be paid for by repealing tax breaks for real estate investors who earn more than $400,000 and other mechanisms.
Biden’s wider platform will come more into focus as the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee approaches. While the event will be significantly scaled back, the former vice president plans on visiting Wisconsin for the DNC.
“I intend to accept my party’s nomination in Milwaukee,” Biden told CBS 58, adding that the reduction in scale of the event is a necessary precaution amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In contrast with Donald Trump and what the Republicans are doing, our top priority is going to be the health and safety of the people of Milwaukee. […] Any decision will be guided by science and public health. Period. Milwaukee is still the anchor of our convention.”
CBS 58 reached out to the Trump campaign for a response.
In a statement, Trump Victory Spokesperson Anna Kelly said, “President Trump is leading a historic economic recovery that puts American families first—including allocating over $3.5 billion for child care assistance across the country and protecting the paychecks of a million Wisconsin workers. Biden’s so-called ‘recovery’ plan is code for $2 trillion in Green New Deal policies that would hike taxes and kill jobs in Wisconsin. If Joe Biden thinks the key to winning Wisconsin is campaigning on an anti-growth agenda from his basement, he is delusional.”
You can watch the interview in its entirety, below: