Claire McCaskill: 'Biden has to confront this age issue in every single way'

I THINK THIS IS A QUESTION ABOUT THE COUNTRY, WHICH DAVID ALSO MENTIONED. I GUESS, NOW, LET'S CONSIDER THE RISKS IN STEPPING DOWN. SAY JOE BIDEN WOULD DO THAT. WHAT WOULD BE THE RISKS? I THINK THERE WOULD BE MANY RISKS. >> WELL, I WILL SAY THIS, I THINK NO MATTER WHO THE NOMINEE IS, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WILL BE UNITED. IT WON'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHO IT IS. BECAUSE THIS IS THE TRUTH THAT LOOMS OVER THIS ENTIRE DISCUSSION. DONALD TRUMP IS A REAL DANGER TO OUR COUNTRY, UNLIKE ANY OTHER DANGER WE HAVE FACED, I WOULD ARGUE, IN HISTORY. HE IS DANGEROUS TO OUR COUNTRY, WHAT WE ARE AND WHAT WE STAND FOR. SO THE DEMOCRATS WILL UNITE AROUND THAT PRINCIPLE, PERIOD. NOW, HERE'S THE THING, OUR CANDIDATE HAS EVERYTHING, MIKA. OUR CANDIDATE HAS THE FACTS, THE TRUTH, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, INTEGRITY. THE ONLY THING HE DOESN'T HAVE IS YOUTH. AGE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING MOMENTS OF THIS CAMPAIGN. WHAT I SAID THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WAS SIMPLE. WITH HIS PERFORMANCE ON THURSDAY NIGHT, HE TURNED THAT ISSUE, THE VOLUME UP TO BLAST. IT IS NOW DOMINANT AS OPPOSED TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE THAT DEBATE. HERE'S WHAT HE HAS TO DO. I NEVER CALLED FOR HIM TO STEP DOWN. LIKE JOE, I TRIED TO GIVE MY HONEST ASSESSMENT OF WHAT I SAW BECAUSE THAT'S MY JOB. THANK GOD I'M ON A NETWORK WHERE WE CAN DO THAT. THANK GOD I'M IN A PARTY WHERE WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THEY COALESCE AROUND THIS MALIGNANT, NARCISSIST LIAR AND GASLIGHT THE COUNTRY. FOX NEWS GASLIGHTS THE COUNTRY. WE DON'T DO THAT. BUT HERE'S WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN. I AM FINE WITH JOE BIDEN. IF I WEREN'T WORKING FOR THE NETWORK, I WOULD CAMPAIGN FOR JOE BIDEN. BUT HE HAS TO NOW IMMEDIATELY PERFORM. IMMEDIATELY PERFORM IN SITUATIONS THAT ARE JUST AS STRESSFUL AND JUST AS HIGH PRESSURE AS THE PRESIDENCY. HE HAS TO GET OUT -- >> SO -- >> -- AND DO INTERVIEWS THAT ARE TOUGH. HE HAS TO GO OUT AND SHOW. HE HAS TO OVERCOME THIS PROBLEM -- >> YES. >> -- AND REPAIR THIS REAL DAMAGE. IF HE DOES THAT -- >> ABSOLUTELY. >> -- GO, MAN, GO. >> YEAH. >> GO, MAN, GO. >> YOU MENTIONED THE ONE THING HE DOESN'T HAVE, CLAIRE, IS YOUTH. INDEPENDENT VOTERS, REPUBLICANS WHO MAYBE DON'T WANT TO VOTE FOR TRUMP, THAT VOTING BLOCK IS PRETTY IMPORTANT IN THIS ELECTION. BESIDES THE PRESIDENT'S LACK OF YOUTH, WHAT IS THEIR COMPLAINT ABOUT BIDEN? WHAT IS THEIR MAIN COMPLAINT? WHAT KEEPS THEM FROM DOING IT? >> YOU LOOK AT STATES WHERE SHERROD BROWN AND JON TESTER AND BOB CASEY ARE RUNNING FOUR, FIVE, SIX POINTS AHEAD OF DONALD TRUMP. THOSE INDEPENDENT VOTERS ARE VOTING FOR THOSE DEMOCRATS WITH THOSE POLICIES. THEY WOULDN'T BE -- THERE'S NO WAY JON TESTER WOULD BE AHEAD IN HIS RACE IN POLLING RIGHT NOW WITHOUT BOTH INDEPENDENTS AND REPUBLICANS. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE SENATE CANDIDATES AND JOE BIDEN IS AGE. IT'S NOT THEIR POLICIES. SO THAT'S WHY THIS HAS BECOME, I THINK, MORE THAN BEDWETTING AND HAND WRINGING. I THINK THIS REALLY IS AN ISSUE JOE BIDEN HAS TO CONFRONT IN EVERY SINGLE WAY. IF HE DOES THAT, OF COURSE, HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS SPEAK VOLUMES. OF COURSE HE IS AN AMAZING PRESIDENT. MIKA, THIS IS PAINFUL FOR PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT HIM. YOU KNOW, IT WAS INCREDIBLY HEARTBREAKING TO WATCH THURSDAY NIGHT FOR MOST OF AMERICANS. YOU KNOW WHAT? RIGHT NOW, HE HAS TO PERFORM FLAWLESSLY. YOU KNOW WHAT? AMERICA IS GOING TO HOLD HER BREATH ALL THE WAY FROM NOW UNTIL THE FIRST TUESDAY OF NOVEMBER. WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OUR BREATH. >> YEAH. I WANT TO BRING REVEREND AL INTO THE CONVERSATION. REV AL, WE TALKED OVER THE WEEKEND. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN HEARING. I'M ALSO GOING TO ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED CLAIRE. THAT IS, INDEPENDENTS AND REPUBLICANS WHO MAYBE DON'T WANT TO VOTE FOR TRUMP BUT ARE HOLDING BACK FROM JOE BIDEN, BESIDES HIS AGE, WHICH I DON'T THINK BOTHERS ALL OF THEM, WHAT IS IT THAT KEEPS THEM FROM VOTING FOR JOE BIDEN? WHAT'S THE ISSUE? >> I THINK THAT THE ISSUE THAT IS MOST CLEAR IS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE CONVINCED THAT WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN AN AFFIRMATIVE WAY AND SEE THAT IN CONTRAST TO THE OPPOSITION, DONALD TRUMP, WHO IS A REAL THREAT, ANTI-WOMEN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE, ANTI-VOTING RIGHTS, ANTI-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, ALL OF THE THINGS INDEPENDENTS AND MANY OTHERS BELIEVE IN. I THINK THE MESSAGING BY THE DEMOCRATS MUST BE WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO RESTORE THAT IN THE BIDEN YEARS AND WHAT BIDEN WILL CONTINUE TO DO. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT I HEAR MY FRIEND CLAIRE, AND I THINK THAT THE OTHERS THAT WANTED TO CHALLENGE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S AGE, THEY HAD EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ENTER THE PRIMARIES AND DO THAT. IF YOU LOOK AT '08, BARACK OBAMA TOOK ON HILLARY CLINTON AND JOE BIDEN AND ESTABLISHED A NEW GENERATION DEMOCRAT. SO IF YOU WERE THAT CONVINCED THAT JOE BIDEN SHOULD STEP ASIDE AND THAT YOU WERE THE NEW GUY, YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE WHAT OBAMA DID AND RUN. BUT DON'T WAIT FOR A BAD DEBATE NIGHT TO NOW USE THAT AS AN ENTREE INTO YOUR ENTERING INTO NATIONAL POLITICS. I SAY THAT AS A GUY THAT'S OLDER THAN THEM. I'M A DECADE OR SO YOUNGER THAN BIDEN OR TRUMP, THOUGH I MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON THE NEWS MARCHING THE NIGHT MARA WAS BORN. IT DOESN'T EXCUSE THE FACT THAT NONE OF THESE PEOPLE STEPPED UP. THEY'RE WAITING TO GET A NOMINATION BY DEFAULT. LET ME ASK THE SENATOR, GOV JONES THIS. THE OTHER THING IS, I DON'T SEE ANY CLEAR WAY THAT IF, FOR WHATEVER REASONS, JOE BIDEN STEPPED ASIDE, AND I DON'T THINK HE WILL OR SHOULD, BUT IN A CLEAR WAY, THAT WOULD NOT BREAK OUT INTO A HUGE FIGHT IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. I DO NOT THINK YOU'D HAVE A UNITED PARTY. I THINK YOU'D HAVE A CONVENTION. MANY OF US WOULD SAY KAMALA HARRIS SHOULD HAVE IT. IF PEOPLE THAT WOULD FIGHT HER WOULD HAVE BACKLASH FROM WOMEN AND BLACKS, THEN YOU'D HAVE OTHERS. HOW DO YOU EVEN IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING A UNITED PARTY TRANSITION IF, FOR WHATEVER REASON, JOE BIDEN MIGHT JUST DECIDE TO TURN ON ALL OF THE COUNSEL HE'S GETTING ON? >> REV, THAT'S THE QUESTION I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALLY ARE ASKING ENOUGH. WHAT WOULD THIS LOOK LIKE IF JOE BIDEN ACTUALLY STEPPED ASIDE? I THINK IT WOULD BE CHAOS, AT LEAST FOR A WHILE. I THINK CLAIRE IS RIGHT, THAT, ULTIMATELY, YOU WOULD UNITE AROUND A NOMINEE, WHOEVER THAT MIGHT BE. WHETHER IT WAS VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS OR SOMEONE ELSE. YOU WOULD UNITE AROUND THAT NOMINEE, BUT THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE. YEAH, I REMEMBER THE SUMMER OF 2021 WHEN THERE WAS SUCH FRACTIONS WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OVER LEGISLATION AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AND THE BUILD BACK BETTER BILL. THAT PALES IN COMPARISON TO WHAT WE'D SEE IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS. THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO ADD, TOO, AND I REALLY THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT, FOLKS, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH TO UNPACK WITH ALL THIS. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE ARE GIVING THE BIDEN FAMILY ENOUGH CREDIT. WE KEEP HEARING THEY'RE CIRCLING WAGONS. WE KEEP HEARING THEY'VE IMMEDIATELY SAID, OH, YOU'VE GOT TO STAY. WE WON'T GO. I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE GIVING THE FIRST LADY AND HIS FAMILY ENOUGH CREDIT. TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW, THEY SAW THE DEBATE, AS WELL. HE IS A HUSBAND. HE IS A FATHER. HE IS A GRANDFATHER. HE IS A BROTHER. THOSE DISCUSSIONS ARE VERY SERIOUS GOING ON. ULTIMATELY, THEY MAY RALLY TO THE POINT WHERE THEY ARE SAYING, YOU NEED TO STAY AND FIGHT. BUT TO THINK THIS WAS A KNEE-JERK REACTION. PUBLICLY, THE STAFF AND FAMILY ARE GOING TO SAY THINGS PUBLICLY. THEY'VE GOT TO DO THAT UNTIL A FINAL DECISION IS MADE. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE THIS FAMILY A LITTLE BIT OF CREDIT. THEY'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT, AND THEY WEATHERED A LOT. THE BIDEN FAMILY, JUST LIKE JOE BIDEN HAS SAID, HE GETS BACK UP. YOU KNOW, YOU GET KNOCKED DOWN, YOU GET BACK UP. THAT'S THEIR MANTRA. THAT'S THEIR HISTORY. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE, THE ONE THING I THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WAS SAID HERE SO FAR, AND I THINK EVERYBODY IS SAYING THIS, THE PRESIDENT IS GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION. HE'S GOING TO NEED TO GET OUT THERE. HE IS GOING TO HAVE TO PROVE, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ROOM FOR ERROR AT THIS POINT ON THE ISSUE OF HIS AGE AND HIS ABILITY. HE NEEDS TO GET OUT THERE. ONCE THIS DECISION IS MADE, IF HE STAYS IN, HE NEEDS TO GET OUT THERE AND DEMONSTRATE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHAT HE HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATING FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS. THAT IS THAT HE HAS THE CONFIDENCE IN HIMSELF TO DO THIS JOB, TO WIN THIS RACE, AND TO SAVE DEMOCRACY FROM DONALD TRUMP. THAT'S WHAT HIS DECISIONS HAVE BEEN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I THINK THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN JOE BIDEN, THEY'VE BEEN WITH HIM LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT HIS DECISION IS GOING TO BE MADE ON WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THIS COUNTRY AND NOT ABOUT HIM PERSONALLY. >> THE NEXT DATA POINT WILL BE THE FIRST WAVE OF REAL BATTLEGROUND STATE POLLS AFTER THE DEBATE, AND THEN IF ANY OF THESE PRIVATE DEMOCRATIC CONCERNS BURST PUBLIC. IF THE PRESIDENT CAN HANG ON, WE START TALKING ABOUT OTHER EVENTS IN THE CAMPAIGN. NEXT UP, JULY 11th, DONALD TRUMP'S CRIMINAL SENTENCING. MARA, I WANTED TO TALK FURTHER ABOUT A NAME EVOKED, VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, WHO IMPLICITLY, THE BIDEN CASE FOR CONTINUING THIS CAMPAIGN NOW, FRANKLY, THE BIDEN CASE FOR RUNNING AT ALL THIS SECOND TIME WAS BECAUSE SOME DEMOCRATS AND SOME MEMBERS OF THE WEST WING DON'T THINK SHE COULD WIN A RACE AGAINST DONALD TRUMP. >> YOU KNOW, THE ONE THROUGH LINE HERE IS THAT THE BIDEN INNER CIRCLE HAS SPENT THE PAST TWO YEARS ON A PRESSURE CAMPAIGN TO ELIMINATE COMPETITION OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE. THAT INCLUDES SIDELINING VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS THE PAST COUPLE YEARS. I'VE SEEN HER ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS. I THINK SHE'S A MUCH BETTER CAMPAIGNER THAN SHE WAS FOUR YEARS AGO. I WOULD EVEN SAY 180 DEGREES. SHE'S OBVIOUSLY BECOME MORE DYNAMIC. SHE'S DRAWING CROWDS. YOU KNOW, I THINK SHE IS BUT ONE OF A DEEP BENCH OF DEMOCRATS WHO, FRANKLY, AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVE WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER POSITIONED TO BEAT DONALD TRUMP. THAT IS THE QUESTION HERE. YOU KNOW, I HAVE TREMENDOUS RUNNING MATE FOR THE PRESIDENT -- RESPECT FOR THE PRESIDENT WHO STEPPED UP IN 2020 AND, THANK GOD, ALONG WITH THE VOTERS, HELPED RESCUE THIS COUNTRY FROM A MAJOR THREAT OF DEMOCRACY. WE NEED IT AGAIN. THE QUESTION IS WHO CAN BEAT DONALD TRUMP. THIS IS NOT A COMEBACK STORY. I HAVE RESPECT FOR JOE BIDEN. ENORMOUS RESPECT FOR THE PRESIDENT. BUT THIS CANNOT BE ABOUT HIM. THIS HAS TO BE ABOUT AMERICANS WHO ARE GOING TO SUFFER ENORMOUSLY IF DONALD TRUMP RETAKES THE PRESIDENCY AND WINS RE-ELECTION. I'M THINKING NOT JUST ABOUT JOE BIDEN. I'M THINKING ABOUT WOMEN WHO ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO LOSE THEIR HEALTH CARE. I'M THINKING ABOUT PEOPLE ON MEDICAID, MEDICARE. I'M THINKING ABOUT