CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript Interview with Bernie Sanders

Interview

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Joining us now from Vermont, Senator Bernie Sanders. Senator, thank you so much for joining us. And as you heard, the president is accusing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris of playing politics with the coronavirus vaccine. But he's also pushing a timeline that would benefit him politically. I want you to listen to precisely what the president said earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're going to have it soon. Wait a minute. So now what they're saying is, oh, wow, this is bad news. President Trump is getting this vaccine in record time. By the way, if this were the Obama administration, you wouldn't have that vaccine for three years and you probably wouldn't have it at all. So we're going to have a vaccine very soon. Maybe even before a very special date. You know what date I'm talking about.

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[17:10:03]

BLITZER: That date of course would be November 3rd, Election Day. So what do you say to that, Senator?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Nothing. I mean, I think you got a president whose losing it and I think most people are sick and tired of the ranting and the ravings of Donald Trump.

Look, everybody wants a vaccine, but we want to make sure that that vaccine is safe. We don't want to see that vaccine put on the market for political reasons. And I would trust that our doctors, our scientists, and the drug companies will do the right thing and get it onto the market, get it into people's arms when it is ready, not when it suits the political purposes of this increasingly irrational president.

BLITZER: In response to the president, both beden and Harris are raising serious questions about the vaccine development process. Do you fear those comments from the Democratic ticket, senator, potentially could be detrimental to the American public having faith in this process and being willing to get a vaccine?

SANDERS: Wolf, I think -- Wolf, let's mot politicize this thing. I mean, we have developed vaccines for decade after decade after decade. We have to give the resources to the doctors and the scientists to do their work. We've got to make sure that vaccine undergoes the clinical trials that it is necessary to make sure that it is safe.

Then we got to figure out a way to get it into, you know, hundreds of millions of people. That's what we've got to do. And we don't want to be politicizing this thing.

BLITZER: You're absolutely right.

SANDERS: But we do want to move it as quickly as possible.

BLITZER: We want the American public and the people all around the world to have confidence that it's safe and effective. Let's move on, Senator. The president is pushing back on reports that he actually disparaged U.S. troops. You've seen "The Atlantic" magazine article, other articles confirmed by so many news organizations right now.

He says nobody has more respect for our military than he does and he thinks his former chief of staff, John Kelly, a retired four-star general knows that. We haven't yet heard specifically from General Kelly. Do you think that General Kelly should come forward and say whether or not these reported comments by the president are true?

SANDERS: Look, Wolf, you know, Kelly will do what he must. All that we can say is that we understand in terms of his attacks on John McCain that John McCain was a loser because he was captured. In fact, he was a very, very incredibly brave POW who refused to leave a prison camp earlier. He could have gotten out earlier. He refused to do that.

So, you know, I don't want to get into, you know, what John Kelly knows and doesn't know. But, by the way, it might be a good idea that today on Labor Day we acknowledge the thousands of workers in this country who have done, did do essential work, died on the job. And I think it's important for the American people to appreciate that

and to respect that incredible sacrifice. And it's also important to know that today on Labor Day, millions of people still do not have work as a result of the pandemic.

And that it is terribly important that in Congress, the Senate does what the House does and pass legislation, which provides that $600 a week in supplementary unemployment that previously existed, that we make sure that people are not evicted from their homes, and that in fact, we do not allow people in this country to go hungry. So, a lot of work that Congress has got to do. I hope the Senate follows what the House did.

BLITZER: Well, on this Labor Day, you make an important point, these workers are courageous, the front line workers especially and so many of them you correctly point out, unfortunately, have gotten very ill and have died from the coronavirus.

Why not accept a compromise, Senator, with the Republicans in the Senate, with the president, and not necessarily go for the whole package that the Democrats want except something -- get $1 trillion or $1.5 trillion right now to help those workers on this Labor Day. And some of the other things, the wish list that you want, you try to fight for that in a month or two.

SANDERS: I think that Schumer and Pelosi have both not only indicated their willingness to compromise. They have already made major compromises.

You know, we have a Republican administration and Republicans in the Senate who are okay with giving $1 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthiest people in this country and the largest corporations, prepared to spend $740 billion on the military, more than the next 10 nations combined.

You know what, a lot of workers are suffering in America. They can't feed their kids. They're worried about being evicted. Let's stand up for those workers. Will there be compromise? Should there be compromise? Fine. But let's not turn our backs on the working people of this country.

BLITZER: Well, let me ask you this, Senator. Would you vote for what's called a skinny version, a skinned down version, a little bit less in order to help those workers at least get through the next few months, this period where there's so much uncertainty?

[17:15:06]

SANDERS: Wolf, the devil is -- the devil is in the details. Of course, I would vote for a compromised bill, but it's got to be a good bill. And I think the Republicans -- you know, the problem the Republicans have is that probably half of the members of the Republicans in the Senate aren't going to vote for anything. But let's just hope that they get their act together and stand with working people.

BLITZER: I think between the Democrats and those Republicans who are willing to compromise, you get another $1 trillion or $1.5 trillion, a lot of it going for workers, that would be really beneficial to these people who are worried about paying their rent, who are worried about putting food on the table.

SANDERS: That's right.

BLITZER: They need the money now, Senator. So, why not go ahead --

SANDERS: They need the money yesterday.

BLITZER: -- and accept what the president --

SANDERS: There's a lot of suffering.

BLITZER: They need it obviously. There's a lot of suffering and it's hard to believe here in the United States of America people are going hungry right now the way they are. So, I ask the question once again, are you ready to take a $1 trillion that the Republicans are offering in order to help those people.

SANDERS: Look, we can't -- Wolf, it's not a $1 trillion. It's where that money goes and what it -- you can't -- you look at a grand total (inaudible)

BLITZER: But a big chunk of that will go for the workers. They'll go for the middle class. It will go for those people who are hungry.

SANDERS: Well, you don't know that. You don't know that. I'm willing to look at any bill that comes will help the working people. But, by the way, you got states and cities right now that are on the verge of laying off hundreds of thousands of teachers and police officers and firefighters and other public employees because they are in serious financial trouble.

So, if your question is should we compromise, I don't have a problem. But the devil will be in the details.

BLITZER: And they should get together, they should meet and they shouldn't be in recess right now because you correctly point out especially on this Labor Day there are so many Americans who are suffering right now, can't even get enough food for their kids. They need the help --

SANDERS: That's right.

BLITZER: -- from the federal government and they need it right away, or as you say they need it yesterday. Senator Sanders, thanks so much for joining us.

SANDERS: Thank you.

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