Transcripts For MSNBCW MTP Daily 20200914

Transmission rates among younger children. And welcome to a very busy monday. Its meet the press daily. Im Steve Kornacki in for chuck todd. And in just a few moments, joe biden is set to deliver remarks in delaware. He will address those wildfires that are raging out west. Hes expected to speak critically of the president s handling of that crises and of other climate emergencies. And were going to bring you those remarks when they begin. And then, shortly after biden speaks, the president is set to land in sacramento. This is video just in of his departure on air force one from nevada. The white house says he will be meeting with local and emergency officials in sacramento for a briefing on the wildfires. And weve just learned that the states governor, gavin newsom, will be a part of that briefing. Now, these wildfires, of course, have ravaged communities up and down the west coast, while blanketing huge chunks of the country in a smoky haze. You can see it on satellite images stretching all the way now to michigan. With 50 days to go, the president s handling of yet another major disaster facing this country will be in focus. And you also see it on your screen here, in just the last hour, sally has now been upgraded to a hurricane as that storm heads towards the gulf coast. Were going to have more on that later. And all of this comes as the president s approach to another major disaster, the pandemic, is facing renewed criticism, as the death toll in the u. S. Surpasses 15,000. Nevada governor Steve Sisolak is slamming the president for violating his States Coronavirus restrictions, prohibiting large gatherings. This after the president held a Campaign Rally last night indoors, with thousands of people, many of them not wearing masks. The governor and other local officials describe the incident describe the decision, i should say, to hold the indoor event as reckless. The Trump Campaign defending the move, and the president was defiant at the rally. He urged his supporters to demand that the governor fully reopen the state. And joining me now from bary creek, california, which has been hit hard by those wildfires, my nbc news colleague, erin mclaughlin. Nbcs Shannon Pettypiece is in Downtown Washington covering the president. And with as well, the Washington Posts robert costa, an msnbc political analyst. And joining us on the phone from wilmington, delaware, again, where joe biden is expected to speak at any moment. We also have with us nbcs mike memoli. Thanks to all of you for being with us. Erin, let me start with you. Describing, we have been, the scenes there in california, showing some of the video. Youre on the ground. Tell us what youve been seeing and what is expected in the hours and days ahead. Reporter well, the community of berry creek, steve, has been completely devastated. The fire station burned out, the local school completely leveled. Behind me, you can see the remains of what was someones home. Thousands across the state are facing a similar reality. And fire officials tell me that this is very difficult for small communities to recover from. It could take weeks, years, months Going Forward into the future to come back from this. The small communities dont have the kind of infrastructure that is necessary. Another big concern here in california, of course, is the air quality, is absolutely horrific out here. Governor gavin newsom was visiting this area on friday. He said that it takes its equivalent to smoking some 20 packs of cigarettes and the smoke, the effects of the smoke being felt all up and down the west coast, portland now has the worst air quality in the world. But the smoke also is a doubleedged sword. Fire officials here in berry creek telling me that its actually helping them to fight the fires to cool the situation down, helping them to contain what is the largest fire now in the history of the state of california. Steve . And youre mentioning just in terms of the smoke here, how widely that is being experienced here. Give us a sense, though, the scope of this, just in california on the west coast, the direct damage from wildfires. Whats the scope of what were talking about here . Well, as i said, thousands of structures have been demolished and entire communities have been evacuated. You know, i was speaking to a couple who were evacuated from a camp site. They have been homeless for two years. They lost their home to the paradise fire in 2018, which was the most fatal fire in the state history. Now, theyre wondering what to do next. Tha theyre at a local evacuation center, they dont know where to go, and the woman there telling me shes suffering from severe ptsd. That this fire is like reliving that devastation from two years ago. Let me bring shannon petty pees in here. Shannon, the president on his way out to california now. Apparently, therell be an event that involves the governor there, gavin newsom with the president. What can we expect to hear from the president on this today . Well, we know the governor has been trying to push the president to acknowledge that this is a problem bigger than Forest Management or brush, which are issues he has blamed in the past for seeing these massive wildfires. The governor trying to push him to acknowledge that this is a result of Climate Change. We got a little bit of preview of the president s thinking on that issue earlier today, when he retweeted a climate skeptic who raised the issue that historically, before the 20th century, california was a dryer place than it is today. Of course, that does not address the Current Issue of co2 emissions increasing temperatures. So, you know, the president will be push to attribute this to Climate Change. His administration not only has not taken steps to do anything about Climate Change, but has actually been pulling back. A number of obamaera regulations and of course the biggest step of which being pulling out of the paris climate accord. And when we frame this in the context of the election, Climate Change is still ranking as very high issue for voters, despite everything thats going on with the coronavirus and the economy and Race Relations in this country. We consistently see not just democrats, but an overwhelming majority of people, voters listing Climate Change as one of the something they view as important or somewhat important. So certainly an issue that the president is going to be confronted with today. And we will see if he is starting to take any sort of different position on it than he has in the past, steve. So that is still to come. The president in california. We will hear what he has to say, but mike memoli in delaware there, our eyes and ears on the campaign trail with joe biden. He is also set, this hour, in thefecti next hour, he is set t deliver remarks of his own on this subject. What can you tell us about what hes set to say . Reporter youll have to settle for my voice for now as we await the former Vice President. He just left his home a short drive away. We expect him to arrive in the next ten minutes with his remarks to follow. And with 50 days until election day, obviously this has not been a normal campaign by any standard. But we are seeing the Biden Campaign doing what you would do typically in a campaign, which is trying to be nimble, add to the schedule in light of this crises. This is one of the four crises youll remember that joe biden said the nation was facing during his Democratic Convention acceptance speech. The climate crises. Its not one that hes spent a lot of time on recently, as hes focused on the other ones. The pandemic being first and foremost, the Economic Crises related to that, and the Racial Injustice in this country, as part of that, as well. But the Biden Campaign really relishes this opportunity and any chance they can get, really, for what you would call those split screen moments. Knowing the president is heading out west. They want to have an opportunity for the former Vice President to maybe prebutt his remarks. And anytime they think they can put him on the right side of facts and of science, they look for that opportunity. And we got a preview, i think, of what well hear from the former Vice President in a strong statement over the weekend, when biden called the climate crises and defeating it the most consequential challenge we face. He said the science is clear and deadly signs like these fires are unmistakable. President trump can try to deny that reality, but the facts are undeniable. And back to the point of me joining you by phone, this is not going to be a public reality. This is not the likes that we saw President Trump engaged nondisclosure tin over the weekend. We are outside, though, and if you squint, it almost feels like iowa, but with me, the Biden Campaign limiting the participants in this event as they stick closely to those covid protocolprotocols, steve. Robert costa, mike memoli mentions there a contrast, perhaps, the Biden Campaign trying to strike, i think you can see in the lower righthand corner of the screen, thats where the former Vice President will be speaking, from a contrast to that indoor trump rally we were talking about at the beginning of the show here. The president facing quite a bit of criticism. Nevadas democratic governor saying he flouted statewide local ordinances here in terms of indoor crowd capacity, Public Health guidelines. The trump team, the president himself certainly aware of those guidelines, certainly aware of the criticism that would come their way for holding a rally like that last night. What is their thinking behind doing it anyway . Based on my conversations with Trump Campaign advisers and outside allies, its clear whether its nevada or wisconsin or pennsylvania, they feel like theyre in a position now where they must start to stoke the president s core political base, his voters, in places like rural wisconsin, the exurbs of pennsylvania, in philadelphia. In nevada, outside of las vegas. He needs to get the people energized and the rallies are part of that to rye try to close gap with Vice President biden in many of the polls. And its a totally different strategy than you see from Vice President biden, whos very much focused on countering the president s response to the pandemic. Its interesting, the politics. Hearing you right. The trump folks are looking at these polls. Were talking about all the time here. And we tend to look at different groups of voters there. Theres the suburbanites, who were a traditionally republican group, who have been at the heart of that blue wave in 2018. Theyre at the heart of the biden strategy. But the trump thinking right now really is more that blue collar trump base, just trying to run up the numbers there as much as they can. Is that where their minds are two months to go . It is. And wisconsins a good example of that. Just did a story on wisconsin for the Washington Post about how Vice President biden is working to chip away at the president s support in the milwaukee suburbs, traditionally republican areas. But knowing that, the Trump Campaign and republicans in that state and in many other similar states, industrial states, midatlantic states, are trying to go to the northern parts, the western parts, the more blue collar, where they used to be reagan democrat type voters, and maybe voters that didnt come out to the polls every four years and try to get them somehow enthused on this antiestablishment fervor again, just like President Trump did in 2016, when he was the nominee. But for the Biden Campaign, so much of their trip right now is to suburban voters. And they feel like if they can do better in urban areas and suburban areas, theyll be able to compete, if not out pace the president in many places. And shannon, we mentioned as well the president expected to talk to be with the governor of california, democrat gavin newsom today. Climate change being the backdrop for the dispute between the president and gavin newsom, more broadly. The president s side, the democrats, when it comes to this politically. In terms of the interaction between the two of them in terms of the potential for cooperation right now in just dealing with this disaster, what do you expect on that front . President be able to work well to some extent or at least be in the same room with democratic governors. I think of, you know, andrew cuomo during the coronavirus pandemic, coming to the white house, being able to have a conversation. The two of them having a little bit of a sim ymbiotic relations. Thats possibly something we could see here. But does the president with 50, howevermany days left before the election, want to be in california meeting with gavin newsom right now, as the clock ticking down to election day . No, not where the president wants the agenda to be. He does not want to be talking about Climate Change. He does not want to be meeting with the democratic governor. But i think the situation on the ground really demanded it. And erin was talking a few moments ago about the air quality there. You know, when the president s plane landed in nevada, the reporters there said the haze, the smell, the smoke from those fires was so noticeable in reno, to them, that its possible that thats really what got this on the president s radar, because this was not a scheduled trip. This was not something that was planned. It was two days in nevada, maybe a stop on arizona, and then he was heading home. So he has thrown in this california trip at the last minute and it was certainly something not on the agenda of this campaign when they set off, on really what was a Campaign Trip and has now turned into a bit of an official stop, as well. And mike memoli, in addition to those remarks were waiting on from joe biden, the Biden Campaign also scheduled, joe biden himself scheduled to go to florida tomorrow in florida state. Our nbc marist poll shows a 48 48 tie in florida. It shows the hispanic vote in florida, in fact, our poll has trump leading by four points, powered by strong support from cuban american voters. Whats the Biden Campaign telling you about florida right now . Well, its interesting. Florida is always, of course, a state where the margins are razor thin and the Biden Campaign also well aware of how expensive it is, really, to be able to compete on the airwaves there. They have the money on their own, the resources weve seen and just incredible amounts of money that i have been able to raise, outpacing President Trump last month. But listen, there are so many polls showing biden with the lead, both nationally and in key states. But naturally, democrats are focused on those areas where he is probably softest in support right now. Among those are young voters, which is part of why this speech today and focusing on climate is so important, because that has been shown to be one of the issues that motivates young voters so much. But in terms of the latino vote, one of the challenges for the Biden Campaign there is its not a monolist. Biden himself got in trouble for saying this as it relates to other demographic groups, but its true. The same message that might work to motivate latino voters in arizona and nevada, might not necessarily be one that works in florida, thanks specifically to south florida, where the Biden Campaign does feel some vulnerability on the issue that the Trump Campaign has been using, which is to tie them to socialism, of course, the cuban American Population very sensitive to this. But we are going to see biden on his trip to florida tomorrow with two stops, thing he hasnt done necessarily in different cities and other battleground states so far. One focused on the military vote in tampa, and secondly, on that latino vote and an event in the orlando area. The Biden Campaign certainly trying to make up for some lost ground there among the latino vote. Mike memoli there in delaware. Erin mclaughlin out in california. Shannon pettypiece, robert costa, thank you all for being with us. Appreciate that. And again, a live look here. Wilmington, delaware. Joe biden set any minute now to address those ongoing wildfires and the issue of Climate Change. When he begins, well bring you his remarks. Also, much more on the urgent battle against the western wildfires. Should the federal government be doing more to help . If so, what should it be doing . Im going to ask two top officials in oregon and california. That is next. D oregon an california that is next when i was in high school, this was the theater i came to quite often. The support weve had over the last few months has been amazing. Its not just a work environment. Everyone here is family. If you are ready to open your heart and your home, check us out. We thought for sure that we were done. And this town said not today. A lot goes through your mind. With fidelity wealth management, your dedicated adviser can give you straightforward advice and tailored recommendations. Thats the clarity you get with fidelity wealth management. Welcome back. We are expecting to hear from joe biden any minute now on both the wildfires that are raging out west and on the climate crises. We will bring you those remarks when they begin. Also in this hour, the president , drrp, on his way to sacramento. Hes going the meet with state and local officials there who are dealing with the wildfires that are currently engulfing that state and much of the west coast. And both of his rallies in nevada this weekend, this president offered prayers for those affected and said that he views the fires as a product of poor Forest Management. And thats a theme the president has stressed before. In past wildfire seasons, he has been dismissive of the efforts taken by political leaders in states like california to fight and prevent the fires. In 2019, he threatened fema aid unless those leaders, quote, got their act together. And while the president is addressing fires in california this afternoon, some of the worst blazes continue up further north. In oregon, where a million acres have now burned, forcing over 40,000 people to evacuate their homes. We are going to be talking to the director of oregons Emergency Response in just a few minutes, but first, im joined by the mayor of sacramento, darryl steinberg. Your honor, thank you for joining us. Appreciate you taking a few minutes. First of all, we just had in the last segment a report from on the ground in northern california. Youve got the governor saying the air quality in parts of the state is like smoking 20 packs of cigarette. Just in the city of sacramento right now, give us a sense what its like, what the air is like. What is it like to be where you are right now . The air quality is very unhealthy, steve. You know, we are telling people to stay indoors. Dont exercise outdoors, its just plain not healthy. And obviously, this is the result of the most catastrophic environmental crises that we have seen. It is, of course, historic. And while the president comes to sacramento today, hes really doing what any president , nonpartisan, bipartisan way would do. And that is the basics, respond to a National Emergency affecting any state, blue, red, or purple. The real question is, of course, your panel talking about, is where is the National Leadership on the root cause . The existential climate crises . President s lead, they do not deny. And this president is not only denying, he is retrenching. Look at the record here. It doesnt have to be political rhetoric. I know 50 days from an election. He has stopped to cut the Environmental Protection agency, 1. 7 billion. He has sought to roll back the obamaera regulations to clean up coalfired power plants, oil and gas, refineries, as well as the historic clean fuel standards that california pioneered. You want to look for real climate leadership for the rest of the country. Ironically, look at california. 100 Renewable Energy portfolio standard. Were already at 30 and moving. Theres so much work to do, but nothing great happens in the absence of true National Leadership and thats what we so desperately need. So were glad the president is coming and doing the basics, which is to provide Disaster Relief to our state, but we need real National Leadership. You mentioned some sort of bigpicture national questions there, but when it comes to what you refer to as the basics there, what would you like to see come out of this trip . Hes meeting with the governor, gavin newsom. What does california need, what would you like to see, and do you expect that you will get that from the president . I think we will. I mean, first of all, a huge thank you to all of the firefighters. The local firefighters, the state firefighters, but also, the National Forest service and the federal firefighters. Because they have done what they always do, again, in that partisan way, mutual aid and support. So we need aid. We need more resources, obviously. And i expect at a minimum, right, that any president in a time of national crises, again, blue, red, or purple is going to aid americans in need. And thats what we expect. But, you know, thats that, again, is what you would expect of any leader. But we need so much more than that. We need farsighted National Leadership. And maybe, maybe, maybe, there will be a conversation today where the president at least half acknowledges the role of climate. To hear once again about better Forest Management, okay, point made. But you know, over half of the forest lands here on the west coast are federal in nature so maybe you ought to bring his own rake, if thats really how he feels about this. These are serious issues. This is not episodic. This is not one time. The question is not only how are we going to deal with the fires in 2020, but how are we going to deal with them over the next 10 to 20 to 30 years . And thats where Visionary Leadership is obviously not coming from this president. But, god w, you can only hope tt he will instead of retweeting another climate denier, as he did this morning, that he will actually engage in an intelligent way in the conversation about the good things california has done to lead the nation around Renewable Energy and around Climate Change and what he might do, just a little of, to get the country on the right track. Because its not just california. Of course, the impacts of climate are felt throughout the country. And its a national and international issue, of course. All right, darryl stine bres the mayor of sacramento, thank you for taking a few minutes. Appreciate it. Turning now just north of california, oregon, wildfires there as well. And with me, andrew phelps, the director of oregons office of Emergency Management. Andrew, thank you for joining us. First of all, give us a sense of pictures and maps, what does the next week look like in oregon . Were still very much in a life safety situation here in oregon. Weve got thousands of people taking advantage of shelters here in oregon. Thousands that have been displaced and dont know what they have to go back to. So while the firefighters are still working to get containment and control of these fires, our immediate focus is on the needs of the folks that have been displaced, that are either staying with friends or family or in our shelter system. And what we can do to help them begin to start the Recovery Process. We have the graphic up on the screen there now. 40,000 people have had to evacuate homes in oregon so far. Do you anticipate that number growing . Do you anticipate this reaching the Portland Metro area, where you certainly have dense population there . Will that become a much bigger issue . Our firefighters are cautiously optimistic about the Weather Forecast and their ability to get their arms wrapped around these fires a little bit more. The winds have died down. Temperatures have cooled off and humidity has increased, which are all good things for our firefighters. As you can see in some of those images, the incredible poor air quality remains. Its very unhealthy. And that smoke also inhibit ours ability to get aircraft flying, which would really be beneficial once we can get aircraft up off the ground and continue to fight these fires. The president on his way to california meeting with officials there. In terms of the federal governments role here, theres fema, our last guest, the mayor mentioned a lot of these forests, you know, federally managed. What is the federal governments role in helping you in oregon . Are they meeting what youre hoping for, what youre expecting from them . Is there coordination taking place there . Can you speak to that . They have been. Really, from the getgo, our fema partners deployed planning staff for our emergency coordination center. Right now, we have boots on the ground helping the search and rescue and recovery efforts. A tremendous amount of Technical Assistance and expect to request even further assistance during via a major disaster zlargs, if not today, tomorrow. The federal governments role really is to support the state. Its going to be a partnership that has been tested over the course of the disaster weve had here in oregon. And it will be really a longterm operation. Not just immediate life safety needs that aye mentioned, but to get oregonians back on their feet, thousands of folks who have may be lost their homes. Infrastructure will be need to be repaired or replaced. This is going to be a multiyear recovery event. And well be in lockstep with our partners. Weve seen these pictures and are showing them again on the air right now. Weve been looking at this for the last couple of days right now. Have you encountered in your career a disaster like this before . Is this something youve seen before . Is this in a different class . It certainly is, especially for oregon. Weve learned quite a bit from our friends down in california, and the experience theyve had in their really devastating fires over the last few years. Theyve deployed firefighters and have been able to work with our Emergency Management colleagues with Lessons Learned and smart practices on how they develop the Recovery Process down there. To have any one of these fires that have caused devastation in the communities in oregon, one of them on its own would have been unprecedented in oregon. To have all of these fires doing so much devastation, really from top to bottom along the entire Cascade Mountain range here in oregon, unprecedented just doesnt even seem to be the right word. Something beyond that. All right, andrew, thank you for joining us. Im just trying to make out the bottom of the screen here and im going to ask, is this i believe were ready to go. The former Vice President. There you go. We face one of the most difficult moments in our history, in my view. Four historic crises, all at the same time. The worst pandemic in a hundred years, thats already killed nearly 200,000 people and counting. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression that has cost tens of millions of americans jobs and counting. Emboldened White Supremacy unseen since the 60s and a reckoning on race thats long overdue. And undeniable acceleration of the punishing reality of Climate Change on our planet and our people, on the lives and livelihoods, which i would like to talk about now. Jill and i continue, as i suspect all of you do, is to pray for everyone in california, oregon, and washington. And across the west, as these devastating wildfires rage on, just as we hold them in our hearts, those who have faced the hurricanes, tropical storms off our coast of florida, north carolina, or like parts of new orleans, that, in fact, have just been issued an emergency Evacuation Order for hurricane sally. Floods and droughts across the midwest, the flurry of Climate Change everywhere. All this year and right now. We stand with our families who have lost everything, the firefighters, the first responders, risking everything to save others. And the millions of americans caught between relocating during a pandemic or staying put as ashes and smoke pollute the air they breathe. Lets think about that. People are not just worried about raging fires. Theyre worried about the air they breathe, about the damage to their lungs. Parents are already worried about covid19 for their children when theyre indoors and now theyre worried about asthma attacks if their kids are outside. Over the past two years, the total damage from wildfires has reached nearly 50 billion in california alone. 50 billion. This year alone, nearly 5 million acres have burned across ten states. More acreage than the entire state of connecticut. And its only september. Californias wildfire season typically runs through october. Fires are blazing so brightly, smoke reaching so far, nasa satellites can see them 1 million miles away in space. The cost of this years damage will again be sastronomically high. But think of it from the view on the ground, in the smoldering ashes. Loved ones lost along with the photos, the keepsakes, all the memories. Spouses and kids praying each night for their firefighter husband, father, wife, and mother. Will they come home . And tired communities destroyed. We have to act as a nation. It shouldnt be so bad that millions of americans live in the shadow of an orange sky and are left asking, is doomsday here . And i know, i know this feeling of dread and anxiety extends well beyond the fires. Weve seen record Hurricane Season costing billions of dollars as well. Last month, hurricane laura intensified at a near record rate, just before its landfall along louisiana and gulf coast. Its a troubling marker, not for just the increased frequency of the hurricanes, but more powerful and destructive storms. Theyre causing record damage after record damage to peoples homes, lives, and livelihoods. And before it intensified and hit the gulf coast, laura ravaged puerto rico, where three years ago, hurricane maria, our fellow americans there, are still recovering from its damage and devastation. Think about that reality. Our fellow americans are still putting things back together from the last big storm, as they face the next one. Weve also seen historic flooding in the midwest, often compounding the damage delivered by last years floods that caused billions of dollars in damage. Many of you travel through the midwest behind me on that bus tour and you saw it. This past spring, in midland, michigan, experience ed a floodo devastating, with deadly flash flooding overrunning dams and roadways, that it displaced 10,000 residents. It was considered once in a 500year weather event. But those onceinmanygeneration events, theyre now happening every year. The past ten years were the hottest decade ever recorded. The arctic is literally melting. Parts are wail on fire. What were seeing in america and our communities is connected to all of this. With every bout with natures fury caused by our own inaction on Climate Change, more americans see and feel the devastation. Whether in a big city, small towns, on coastlines or in farmlands. Its happening everywhere. And its happening now. And it affects us all. Nearly 200 cities, not republican or democratic cities, 200 cities are experiencing the longest stretches of deadly heat waves in 50 years. Requires them to help their poor and elderly residents adapt to the extreme heat to simply stay alive, especially in homes without airconditioning, which many dont have. Our family farmers in the midwest are facing historic drought. That follows record floods and hurricanes, sped by wind storms all this year. The speed of those wind storms has been incredible, when you saw it on television or saw it in person. Its ravaged millions of acres of corn, soybeans, and other crops. Their very livelihoods which sustain their families and our economy for generations is now in jeopardy. How they pay their bills this year . What will be left to pass on to their kids . And none of this is happening in a vacuum. A recent study showed air pollution and linked with increased risk of death from covid19. Our economy cant recover from it cant build back. With more resiliency, more ability to withstand extreme weather, extreme weather that will only come with greater frequency and intensity. The unrelenting impact of Climate Change affects every single solitary one of us. But too often, the brunt falls just disproportionately on communities of color, exacerbating the need for environmental justice. Sorry, there was a bug. Speaking of the environment. These interlocking crises of our time requires action, not denial. Requires leadership, not scapegoating, and requires the president to meet the threshold duty of the office to care, to care for everyone, to defend us prefer attack, seen and unseen. Always and without exception. Because heres the deal. Hurricanes dont swerve to avoid red states or blue states. Wildfires dont skip towns that voted a certain way. The impacts of Climate Change dont pick and choose. Thats because its not a partisan phenomenon. Its science. And our response should be the same, grounded in science, acting together, all of us, like with our federal response to covid19, a lack of a National Strategy on climate, on Climate Change overall leaves us with a patch work of solutions. As a matter of fact, its been made worse by the changes this administration has made. Im speaking from delaware. Were the lowestlying state in the nation relative to sea level. Where just last week, delaware state attorney general sued 31, 31 big fossil fuel companies, alleging that they knowingly wreaked havoc and damage on climate, our climate. Damage that is plain for everyone to see but the president. And as he flies to california today, we know that he has no interest in meeting this moment. We know he wont listen to the experts or treat this disaster with the urgency it demands. As any president should do during a National Emergency. Hes already said he wanted to withhold aid to california. To punish the people of california, because they didnt vote for him. This is another crisis. Another crisis he wont take responsibility for. The west is literally on fire and he blames the peoplese homes and communities are burning. He says, quote, you got to clean your floors, you got to clean your forest. This is the same president who threw paper towels on the people of puerto rico instead of truly helping them recover and rebuild. We know his disdain for our own military leaders and our veterans. Just last year, the Defense Department reported that Climate Change is a direct threat to more than twothirds of the militarys operationally critical installations. Thats what the military warned him. And this could well be this well could be a conservative estimate. Donald trumps climate denial may not have caused these fires and record floods and record hurricanes, but if he gets a second term, these hellish events will continue to become more common, more devastating, and more deadly. Meanwhile, donald trump warns that integration is threatening our suburbs. Thats ridiculous. But you know what is actually threatening our suburbs . Wildfires are burning the suburbs of the west. Floods are wiping out suburban neighborhoods in the midwest. Hurricanes are imperiling suburban life along our coast. If we have four more years of trumps climate denial, how many suburbs will be burned in wildfires . How many suburban neighborhoods will have been flooded out . How many suburbs will have been blown away in superstorms . If you give a climate arsonist four more years in the white house, why would anyone be surprised if we have more america ablaze . If you give a climate denier four more years in the white house, why would anyone be surprised when more of america is underwater . We need a president who respects science, who understands that the damage from Climate Change is already here, unless we take urgent action, it will soon be more catastrophic. A president who recognizes, understands, and cares that americans are dying, which makes President Trumps climate denialism his disdain for science and facts all the more unconscionable. Once again, he fails the most basic duty to a nation. He fails to protect us from the pandemic, from an economic free fall, from racial unrest, from the ravages of Climate Change. Its clear that were not safe in Donald Trumps america. This is Donald Trumps america. Hes in charge. What he doesnt get is that even in a crisis, theres nothing beyond the capacity of the American People if we stand up and act together. And while so many of you are hurting right now, i want you to know that if you give me the honor of serving as your president , we can and we will meet this moment with urgency and purpose. We can and we will solve the Climate Crisis. And well build back better than we were before. You know, when donald trump thinks about Climate Change, he thinks hoax. When i think about it, i think jobs. Goodpaying unions that have put americans to work, building a stronger, more climateresilient nation. A nation modernized we have modernized water and transportation systems. An Energy Infrastructure to withstand the impacts of extreme weather in change climate. When donald trump thinks about Renewable Energy, he sees windmills somehow as causing cancer. I see american manufacturing, American Workers racing to lead the global market. I see farmers making agriculture the first in the world to achieve net zero emissions and in the process gaining new sources of income. When donald trump thinks about l. E. D. Lightbulbs, he says he doesnt like them because the lights are no good. They always make him look orange. I see Small Businesses and master electricians designing and installing awardwinning Energy Conservation measures, rebuilding buildings across this country. This is going to reduce electrical consumption and save businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in energy costs. While he turns against our allies, ill bring us back into the paris agreement. Ill put us back into the business of leading the world on Climate Change. And ill challenge every other country to up the ante on climate commitments. Where he reverses the biden excuse me, the obama biden fuel efficiency standards, he picks big oil. He picks Big Oil Companies over American Workers. Even when the Automobile Industry agreed, hell not only bring hell not only bring the standards back, ill set new, ambitious ones that our workers are ready to meet. Ill also see American Workers building and installing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations along our newly engaged infrastructure programs and highways, all across the country. I see American Consumers switching to electric vehicles through rebates and initiatives. Not only that, the United States owns one of the and maintains an enormous fleet of vehicles. And were going to harness the purchasing power of our federal government to make sure were buying electric vehicles that are made and sourced by Union Workers right here in the United States of america. And together, this would mean more than a million new jobs in the American Auto industry. And you know, well do another big thing. It will put us on a path to achieving a carbonpollution free electric sector, electricity sector, by 2035. That no future president can come along and turn back. Transforming the electrical sector power to produce power without carbon pollution. It will be the greatest spur to job creation and economic competitiveness in the 21st century. Not to mention the positive benefits to our health and our environment. We need to get to work right away. Well need scientists at the National Labs and land grant universities, historic black colleges and universities to improve and innovate technologies needed to store and transmit this clean electric. We need engineers to design and workers to manufacture these new new products. Well need iron workers and welders to install them. Well need to become the Worlds Largest exporter of these technologies, creating even more jobs, sourced in america. We know how to do this. The Obama Biden Administration rescued the Auto Industry and helped them retool. We made solar energy cost competitive with Traditional Energy and weatherized more than a million homes. And this is just the beginning if we get reelected. And well do it again. Bigger and faster and better than before. Well also build 1. 5 million new energyefficient homes and Public Housing units, that will benefit our communities and three times over by eliminating Affordable Housing crisis, by increasing energy efficiency, and by reducing the racial wealth gap linked to home ownership. There are thousands of oil and natural gas wells that Oil Companies and Gas Companies have abandoned. Many of which are leaking toxins. We can create 250,000 jobs now by just plugging those wells right away. Good union jobs for energy workers. This will help sustain communities and protect them from the environmental damage as well. It will also create new markets for our family farmers and ranchers. Well launch a new modern civilian climate corps to heal our public lands and make use of us less vulnerable, make us much less vulnerable to wildfires and floods. I believe that every american has a fundamental right to breathe clean air and drink clean water. I know that we havent fulfilled that right yet. Thats true of the millions of families struggling with the smoke created devastation of the wildfires right now. But it also has been true for a generation or more in places like cancer alley in louisiana or right here in dell waawadelag the route 9 carter. Right here in delaware. Fulfilling this basic obligation, especially in low income black, brown, and native American Communities who too often dont have the clean air and the clean water. Its not going to be easy. But its necessary. And im committing to get it done. These arent pie in the sky dreams. These are concrete actionable problems that create american jobs. Mitigate Climate Change, and put our nation on the road to net zero emissions by no later than 2050. You know, some say we cant afford to fix this. But heres the thing. Look around at the crushing consequences of the extreme weather events i have been describing. We have already been paying for it. We have a choice. We can invest in our infrastructure to make it stronger, more resilient, improving the health of americans and creating millions of goodpaying jobs while at the same time tackling the root causes of Climate Change, or we can continue down the path donald trump has us on, a path of indifference, costing tens of millions of dollars to rebuild when the human cost, the lives and the livelihoods and homes and the communities destroyed are immeasurable. We have a choice. We can commit to doing this together because we know that Climate Change is the existential challenge thats going to determine our future as a country, for our children, our grandchildren, and our great grandchildren, or we can do it Donald Trumps way, ignore the facts, deny reality, which amounts to a full surrender and a failure to lead. Its backward looking politics. Thats going to harm the environment, make communities less healthy, and hold back economic progress while other countries race ahead. Its a mindset that doesnt have any faith in the capacity of the American People to compete, to innovate, and to win. Like the pandemic, dealing with Climate Change is a global crisis. And that requires american leadership. It requires a president for all americans. So as the fires rage out west on this day, our prayers remain with everyone under the ash. I know its hard to see the sun rise believing today will be a better day than yesterday. Americans face this historic inflection point, a time of real peril, but also a time of extraordinary possibilities. Im confident, i know we can do this. We will do this. This is the United States of america. We have seen the light through the dark smoke. We never give up. Always without exception, every time, we succeed when we try. May god bless our firefighters and keep them safe and our first responders. May god protect our troops. Thank you very much. Im anxious to hear what the president had to say. Thank you. All right, that was the former Vice President there in wilmington, delaware, joe biden. Were waiting to see if he might take some questions from the press. Looks like he will not. Again, joe biden delivering those remarks with the president on his way to california. Donald trump set to meet with that states governor, gavin newsom, and to address those wildfires that continue to rage in california. And to menace, really, the entire west coast. Joe biden there linking the wildfires were seeing in california on the west coast to a number of other extreme weather events in the last few years, to the broader issue of Climate Change, calling the president a climate denier and at one point a climate arsonist. Joe bidens words there. He also said that while he does not blame donald trump for causing these specific weather events were talking about in california right now, he said if donald trump gets a second term, joe bidens words here, these hellish events will become more common, more devastating, and more deadly. So again, hearing from joe biden there with words from the president to come later this afternoon. Weve got some reaction to what we heard from a few guests here. I believe we have nbcs mike memoli with us. Is that correct . I believe we have mike memoli with us. Let me just ask mike, what did you hear there . Reporter well, steve, its interesting. As we often preview these remarks, we talk about it in terms of how biden is choosing to focus on one issue rather than the other. We laid out in our conversation earlier how biden has talked about the four crises facing this country and the idea that he would be choosing to speak on this one rather than the other three, but its always remarkable to see how he links the four together, right . This is the Climate Crisis is also a pandemic issue, he talked about people who are more susceptible to the pandemic because of preexisting lung conditions, asthma in communities. He talked about the Economic Impact on cities, 50 billion in damage in california alone, and he talked about the Racial Injustice, the fact there are communities of color, minority and lowincome communities that often have to deal with greater pollution, greater issues related to this. But i thought what was most interesting, steve, is how he tried to take the issue again of law and order, of safety, and turn it back on the president. He said, if President Trump is reelected, he talked about the risk of flooding, of more wildfires, of storms like were seeing hit the gulf, and talking about the fact that as you say, he was calling the president a climate arsonist. And trying to turn that issue of basically back on the president and often, as he tries to do in these events, talking about a leadership moment. Talking about the president , the country being in need of leadership, not denial. And that he also talked about this is something that the country can unite i was struck toward the end just how much time the former Vice President talked about the Economic Opportunities for the country in terms of dealing with the Climate Crisis, how many especially union jobs could be created in creating a new green infrastructure, so a lot there, and as he was walking out, you might not have been able to hear it, reporters did try to shout a few questions at him. One thing he did say as he was leaving the microphone is he looked forward to hearing what the president had to say. Also he was asked about his messageige florida tomorrow, steve, saying he does need to get his numbers up there, but he pointed out theyre higher than the president s in some areas, at least. Okay, yes, and again, the president on his way to california. Hell be arriving there later this afternoon. East coast time, were joined as well, we have with us robert costa from the Washington Post, brendan buck, republican strategist, neera tanden as well. Robert costa, lets bring you in on a moipoint mike memoli was alluded to, the different audiences joe biden was trying to address with his remarks. It scrumped out to me as well. You have trump, the Trump Campaign indicating this message of law and order gives them a potential opening in the suburbs, whether its in wisconsin or minnesota or some other critical states. And there was joe biden trying to say, hey, this is the issue thats the direct threat to suburbs. I think biden saying at one point, the risk here of suburbs burning because of Climate Change related catastrophes, trying to take that issue and give it a bit of a different a different spin there. Thats right, steve. One of the key lines in this speech from Vice President biden is what could devoy the suburbs, fire, he said today. What were seeing from the Biden Campaign today and in recent weeks is a pattern. While President Trump is trying to draw politically Vice President biden into a daily scrum on different issues, the biden last week with its economic speech in michigan, this week with its speech beginning the week on Climate Change, you see a focus on issues and policy from Vice President biden. A deliberate move, a decision to not try to engage the president tit for tat on every single front that the president is throwing a flare out on, and well see if this works out strategically and politically for the Biden Campaign, but its a decision theyre making to try to outline the four different crises in the country and stick to that agenda. Again, well see how that plays out in the next few hours. Thats the president s challenger speaking. The president himself will be addressing the subject in the coming hours on his way to california right now. Well keep an eye on that. Thats going to do it for us this hour. Robert costa, thank you. Mike memoli as well, always appreciate that. Thank you for joining us. Chuck will be back tomorrow with more meet the press daily and msnbc coverage continues now with katy tur. Hey there, steve. Always good to see you. Good afternoon. I am katy tur. It is 2 00 p. M. In the east and 11 00 p. M. Out west. Well get to that joe biden speech in just a moment, but today, the president is in a battle with reality on climate, right now, the president is in sacramento, california. Hes getting a briefing from local officials on the devastating wildfires burning across the west. Wildfires that are burning stronger, faster, and longer because of Climate Change. Will he accept the science or continue to blame poor Forest Management . On covid, he wants