Sen. Cory Booker on the Harris-Trump presidential debate

[Music] so glad you're streaming with us joining me now someone who knows a little something about debating VP kamla Harris New Jersey's Democratic senator Cory Booker ran against her in the 2020 Democratic primary and is now a strong supporter of her candidacy Senator good to see you it's great to be with you at streaming Ms this is wonderful hey you we've got all I eyeballs all across the world right now senator now you and kamla Harris both adopted some pretty several policy positions back in 2020 and during the 2020 primary you both called for a ban on fracking and decriminalizing illegal border crossings she has since walk backed both of those stances as we know why should voters believe her right now well look God I'm happy I'm not the same person I was five years ago I'm happy that people evolve and learn and I think she knows this what America needs right now is not a radical partisan president who tear it down uh the other side but somebody that can really heal our country and bring us together and find Common Sense pragmatic Solutions I I've watched that Evolution with her and many other people remember JD Vance is somebody that once used Hitler in the same sentence of Donald Trump in an awful condemnation of him and he clearly uh has taken a leap of a change there uh what I'm excited about hearing tonight is where KLA Harris is the work that she's done not only as vice president to tackle some of our nation's biggest problems but how she really is has a clear policy vision for an opportunity economy uh for lowering housing costs for lowering prescription drug costs for expanding tax cuts for workingclass people uh for helping people succeed whether it's in higher education or restoring key basic freedoms like your Reproductive Rights so I I'm glad pel Harris continues to evolve as a leader and I think she is equipped prepared qualified and ready to be president of the United States you know let me just ask you kind of a nonp policy question for a moment you know you were very critical of the way that the 2020 Democratic primary played out saying that it was a shame that at one point there were more billionair in the race than black people were you disappointed that the only way a black woman ended up as the Democratic candidate here was by default how do you feel about that I I don't feel any kind of way about it whatsoever Comm Harris is where she is because of her incredible career remember she won multiple Statewide elections not in you know smaller states in the largest most populous state she earned that reputation for being a pragmatic leader and prosecutor she won to be California's senator in an open race uh and again she showed herself to the American people when she ran for president and made such an impression on Joe Biden that he picked her to be her vice president she's qualified and ready ready for this job uh her race and her gender are in many ways to me uh things that are exciting and nice but that's not why I'm supporting her uh I'm supporting her because of her policies because of her vision because of the character that our country needs we need people of character not criminality like we see in Donald Trump not somebody that's been on multiple indictments who's been convicted of felonies uh who has incited riots been impeached twice uh I really think we need somebody again uh that can bring our country together that can be somebody of a character folks can respect and admire both here at home and abroad so she had a hard time winning over black voters in the primary with most of them going for President Biden do you think she'll be able to turn out the black vote in the same way Obama or Biden did you know as a black guy who ran in that very same primary neither she or I were on the ballot in any primary uh we both dropped out before the first Primary in Iowa I travel the country I go from barber shops to black churches KLA Harris gets standing ovations at just the mention of her name she is beloved uh in the African-American community and will command a large majorities amongst black men and black women I'm I'm confident of that but she still will tell you this is going to be a tight race that could come down to just thousands of votes in the three or four key swing States everybody has to vote this is an urgency now what doesn't concern me is her not getting 90% of black folks vote it's that the denominator that we won't have enough people from all backgrounds coming out she knows she's going to have to work hard we know we have to have the best ground game we know as Governor Walt says we're three points down in this race and so that's why there's an urgency now and why I'm going to be pretty much living on airplanes uh going to communities all around this country really working hard along with thousands of other serat who by the way are rep Ians and Democrats we have some pretty big Republicans that are endorsing her from the Cheney family uh to former members of Donald Trump's cabinet right and and you know it it's the it's the issues as well in particular foreign policy and let's talk about Israel's war against Hamas there's tremendous concern over Harris's foreign policy experience or lack thereof Biden was criticized heavily over this war how does a Harris presidency a late Palestinian suffering while also protecting Israel well I think you put a really good point on it the suffering and the agony in that region from the hostages Americans still being held to seeing Palestinian children needlessly dying this must come to an end and I know comma I know her background there's nobody that feels more pain and Agony in the United States uh uh uh in the United States government I should say than she does she is somebody that has an urgency to end this nightmare to bring the parties together to get a ceasefire in place to get the return of hostages begin the Reconstruction of Gaza and protect the state of Israel the biggest thing that I think that excites me is to have her at the helm fighting for a enduring two-state solution something that the Palestinian leaders the Israeli leaders the Saudi leaders there's so many folks there that are looking for a leader that will that has the kind of moral Clarity to bring parties together and get us on an irrevocable track to a two-state solution again when I travel the world I I I just wish people could hear what I hear from the Middle East to Europe to Africa South America to Asia leaders world leaders look at me with fear about Donald Trump becoming president again and throwing the world into chaos attacking our allies remember he was impeached for what he did in Ukraine withholding funding for political purposes Donald Trump puts himself first not American interests Donald Trump puts his own politics his own staying out of jail his own enrichment before people and how do we know this well multiple courts have now are hearing cases he's been indicted over and over again even his charitable work has been fined millions of dollars for it's corruption and so when I talk to world leaders they want stability they want a leader that will make sure that we remain a world order in which America leads with integrity and strength and KLA Harris can do that one final question Senator if you don't mind you know as as we walked through the Constitution Center we saw the exhibits on the 14th and 19th amendments I know she hasn't talked a lot about you know her race and and her gender so much in in this run but would you please just address the significance of a black woman taking the stage in a presidential debate tonight right here in Philly look I I'm not Beyond um feeling my ancestors celebrating about our nation this improbable Journey we have where you have the fourth black person ever elected the United States Senator we have the first black woman on the Supreme Court this is OB viously something that's extraordinary but when I talk to kamla Harris what she wants to do is not be the first black woman uh uh president of United States what she wants to do is fight for women to restore their Reproductive Rights to get paid family leave and affordable child care she knows that the cause of our country is still urgent making real on the promise of America and she doesn't want us to lose reproductive freedoms to lose the rights that were so bought for by Generations past she's she's running for president because she knows we have work to do and so I will I will celebrate somebody's going to need to pass me a tissue on her inauguration I'll be honest with you but what she wants to do is get to work on restoring Reproductive Rights lowering housing costs making health care and prescription drugs more affordable that's the woman I've known in the Senate she's about the business of the people and and that's what I think is most exciting about her presidency as we all are very excited about the debate tonight Senator Corey Booker thanks so much appreciate your time sir thank you I'm so grateful thank you