1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,466 JUDY WOODRUFF: After Tuesday's Democratic presidential primary contests, former Vice 2 00:00:04,466 --> 00:00:07,333 President Joe Biden has a clear lead. 3 00:00:07,333 --> 00:00:12,333 He won four states, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, and Michigan. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders 4 00:00:14,233 --> 00:00:19,233 won North Dakota. And there is no projected winner yet in Washington state. 5 00:00:20,100 --> 00:00:22,200 Our Lisa Desjardins has more. 6 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:26,333 LISA DESJARDINS: Today, Bernie Sanders spoke in a smaller, more sober setting than usual. 7 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,100 The senator from Vermont said that defeating President Trump was still his number-one goal, 8 00:00:34,066 --> 00:00:37,033 and he will keep challenging Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination, despite yesterday's 9 00:00:37,033 --> 00:00:39,600 primary night letdown. 10 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,100 SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), Presidential Candidate: On Sunday night, in the first one-on-one debate 11 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,166 of this campaign, the American people will have the opportunity to see which candidate 12 00:00:50,066 --> 00:00:53,433 is best positioned to accomplish that goal. 13 00:00:53,433 --> 00:00:56,433 REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): There's no sugarcoating it. Tonight's a tough night. 14 00:00:56,433 --> 00:01:00,533 LISA DESJARDINS: Sanders supporter and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 15 00:01:00,533 --> 00:01:05,366 took to Instagram to console supporters and congratulate Biden. 16 00:01:05,366 --> 00:01:10,366 In a majority of yesterday's contests, moderate, suburban and black voters propelled the former 17 00:01:12,333 --> 00:01:16,333 vice president to victory over Sanders, leading to this moment last night in Philadelphia, 18 00:01:17,766 --> 00:01:20,266 with Biden making this appeal directly to Sanders backers: 19 00:01:20,266 --> 00:01:24,100 JOSEPH BIDEN (D), Presidential Candidate: I want to thank Bernie Sanders and his supporters 20 00:01:24,100 --> 00:01:29,100 for their tireless energy and their passion. We share a common goal. And, together, we 21 00:01:31,300 --> 00:01:33,400 will defeat Donald Trump. 22 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,366 LISA DESJARDINS: One major Biden supporter, longtime South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn, 23 00:01:37,366 --> 00:01:42,000 told NPR that it might be time soon to wind down the primary fight. 24 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:46,966 REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): I think we will be at a point where Joe Biden will be the 25 00:01:48,933 --> 00:01:53,700 prohibitive nominee of the party, and I think the DNC, the Democratic National Committee, 26 00:01:55,700 --> 00:01:59,400 should then step in, make an assessment, and determine whether or not they ought to have 27 00:02:00,300 --> 00:02:02,300 any more debates. 28 00:02:02,300 --> 00:02:06,300 LISA DESJARDINS: Both scrapped planned events last night because of coronavirus concerns. 29 00:02:08,333 --> 00:02:11,333 And the planned TV debate on Sunday will go on, but without a live audience. 30 00:02:11,333 --> 00:02:13,833 For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Lisa Desjardins. 31 00:02:13,833 --> 00:02:17,766 JUDY WOODRUFF: To give us more insight on how the Democratic Party is handling this 32 00:02:17,766 --> 00:02:22,766 changing primary race, I'm joined by Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez. 33 00:02:23,866 --> 00:02:25,800 Tom Perez, welcome back to the "NewsHour." 34 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:27,933 TOM PEREZ, Chairman, Democratic National Committee: Always a pleasure to be with you. 35 00:02:27,933 --> 00:02:30,166 JUDY WOODRUFF: First question, does Bernie Sanders still have a chance to win the Democratic 36 00:02:30,166 --> 00:02:31,166 nomination? 37 00:02:31,166 --> 00:02:33,166 TOM PEREZ: Certainly. 38 00:02:33,166 --> 00:02:36,266 We're -- a little under 50 percent of the delegates have been allocated. The magic number 39 00:02:36,266 --> 00:02:41,266 is 1,991. And so primaries are often about - - they're always about math, and they're 40 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:45,900 often about momentum. 41 00:02:45,900 --> 00:02:50,000 And, certainly, the vice president has achieved some momentum here in South Carolina, Super 42 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,633 Tuesday, and then this week. 43 00:02:54,633 --> 00:02:59,600 I have coached enough team sports and been around politics enough to know that momentum 44 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:04,733 shifts do occur. And our job is to make sure that we continue to have a fair process and 45 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,133 continue to work so that, whoever our nominee is, we can hit the ground running and we will 46 00:03:10,133 --> 00:03:11,133 be united as a party. 47 00:03:11,133 --> 00:03:13,633 And I'm confident we will. 48 00:03:13,633 --> 00:03:17,266 JUDY WOODRUFF: So how do you respond to Congressman James Clyburn's saying that it's time for 49 00:03:18,666 --> 00:03:21,166 the DNC, it's time for this primary process to be shut down? 50 00:03:21,166 --> 00:03:26,166 TOM PEREZ: Well, I think it's always up to the candidates to figure out when it is time 51 00:03:26,166 --> 00:03:28,266 to say when. 52 00:03:28,266 --> 00:03:32,600 And I respect the judgment of Senator Sanders moving forward. We have four more very important 53 00:03:34,566 --> 00:03:39,566 races next Tuesday. Those will provide us with some more information and insight, because 54 00:03:42,333 --> 00:03:47,300 they're big states, Ohio, Illinois, Arizona. And the biggest prize of all next Tuesday 55 00:03:47,300 --> 00:03:49,333 is Florida. 56 00:03:49,333 --> 00:03:53,300 So we will be over the 50 percent mark by the end of the day Tuesday. Two weeks from 57 00:03:55,300 --> 00:03:58,733 Tuesday -- or two weeks from yesterday, we then go down to Georgia. And so that's basically 58 00:03:59,900 --> 00:04:02,166 what we have for the next few weeks. 59 00:04:02,166 --> 00:04:07,166 And I think then, again, this is about math. This is about understanding where you are 60 00:04:09,133 --> 00:04:14,066 in a process. And I don't think it's my place, as the DNC chair, to tell somebody when it's 61 00:04:15,066 --> 00:04:18,300 time to end your campaign. 62 00:04:18,300 --> 00:04:23,300 That's always up to the candidates. I didn't call Pete Buttigieg or I didn't call Amy Klobuchar 63 00:04:25,333 --> 00:04:27,433 or any of the candidates who got out. I never called anyone and said, I think it's really 64 00:04:27,433 --> 00:04:31,100 time for you to get out. That was a judgment that they made on their own, based on their 65 00:04:31,100 --> 00:04:33,100 own analysis. 66 00:04:33,100 --> 00:04:35,633 JUDY WOODRUFF: But it does sound as if other leaders in the party are saying that, either 67 00:04:35,633 --> 00:04:37,700 out loud or privately. 68 00:04:37,700 --> 00:04:40,800 TOM PEREZ: Well, again, I can't stop others from doing what they're doing. 69 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:45,800 What I can do is make sure that everybody gets a fair shake. And one thing I know -- because 70 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:50,500 I have had the good fortune of working with both the vice president and with Senator Sanders, 71 00:04:50,500 --> 00:04:55,500 one thing I know is that, whoever our nominee is, they are both going to work their tails 72 00:04:56,366 --> 00:04:58,466 off to defeat Donald Trump. 73 00:04:58,466 --> 00:05:03,033 And we have seen an absolute explosion in turnout. And I credit not only the two of 74 00:05:04,966 --> 00:05:08,533 them who are still in the race. I credit all the candidates, the excitement that has been 75 00:05:09,666 --> 00:05:12,533 generated throughout this Democratic primary. 76 00:05:12,533 --> 00:05:17,533 You look at yesterday, more record turnout. You look at Super Tuesday, record turnout 77 00:05:18,266 --> 00:05:19,066 in New Hampshire. 78 00:05:19,066 --> 00:05:21,166 JUDY WOODRUFF: Yes. 79 00:05:21,166 --> 00:05:23,200 TOM PEREZ: Blew through the numbers in 2008, South Carolina, the same thing. 80 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,500 So, the energy is there, the momentum is there. And we will come together as a party. 81 00:05:26,500 --> 00:05:31,500 JUDY WOODRUFF: I'm sure that you heard Senator Sanders' statement today, the questions that 82 00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:36,766 he said he wants to hear Vice President Biden respond to having to do with Medicare for 83 00:05:38,700 --> 00:05:42,433 all, having to do with college debt, with climate change, suggesting pretty clearly 84 00:05:44,433 --> 00:05:49,433 that he wants, he expects Joe Biden to accommodate some of Bernie Sanders' positions. 85 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:56,000 How far do you think Joe Biden should go in accommodating some of the more progressive 86 00:05:56,900 --> 00:05:58,933 ideas of Bernie Sanders? 87 00:05:58,933 --> 00:06:03,566 TOM PEREZ: Well, I think -- again, one of the things that gives me great optimism as 88 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,266 we move forward, Judy, is that what unites us as a party far exceeds what our differences 89 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,366 are. 90 00:06:12,366 --> 00:06:16,400 Everybody running for president understands the imperative of combating climate change 91 00:06:18,333 --> 00:06:21,700 and making sure that we make decisions based on the science. Everybody understands that. 92 00:06:23,633 --> 00:06:26,000 Everybody running for president understands that we should make sure everyone has access 93 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:31,000 to quality, affordable health care. And thanks to LBJ and Barack Obama, we're about 85, 90 94 00:06:32,366 --> 00:06:36,333 percent the way up the mountain of universals health care. 95 00:06:36,333 --> 00:06:41,333 They undeniably have differences of opinion on how to get that 15, 10 percent to the mountaintop, 96 00:06:43,266 --> 00:06:46,933 but the imperative of getting there, they have complete agreement on. And the imperative 97 00:06:46,933 --> 00:06:51,766 of making sure that people with preexisting conditions being able to maintain their coverage, 98 00:06:51,766 --> 00:06:53,733 they completely agree on. 99 00:06:53,733 --> 00:06:57,200 Taking on the pharmaceutical industry, they completely agree on. So, what unites us, I 100 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,700 think, far exceeds what our differences are. And the voters will see that. 101 00:07:00,700 --> 00:07:03,300 JUDY WOODRUFF: Two quick questions about coronavirus. 102 00:07:03,300 --> 00:07:08,133 Given the severity of what we know is now going on, it's a pandemic, should our two 103 00:07:08,133 --> 00:07:13,133 political parties find ways to work together that they haven't found before now on this 104 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:15,633 issue? 105 00:07:15,633 --> 00:07:18,166 TOM PEREZ: Well, I think there are a number of areas where I would hope that we could 106 00:07:18,166 --> 00:07:20,233 have worked together. 107 00:07:20,233 --> 00:07:25,233 One letter we sent a long time ago was, if either party obtains information that was 108 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:32,300 a product of foreign interference, we should never use that information. We sent a letter 109 00:07:32,300 --> 00:07:37,300 a while ago calling on the Republicans to come together on that. Unfortunately, they 110 00:07:37,766 --> 00:07:40,433 said no. 111 00:07:40,433 --> 00:07:43,633 I would love to figure out ways to work together. We should be following our public health guidance, 112 00:07:45,633 --> 00:07:48,633 our public health professionals. I have great respect for the doctors and other professionals 113 00:07:48,633 --> 00:07:50,866 at the National Institutes of Health. 114 00:07:50,866 --> 00:07:55,866 I had the privilege of working with many of them in the Obama administration. And I think 115 00:07:57,966 --> 00:08:01,466 we should be able to come together. This is - - coronavirus is not about right vs. left. 116 00:08:03,500 --> 00:08:07,733 It's about public health. And it's about making sure that we, as a nation, can come together. 117 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,333 It's very disappointing to see the absence of sufficient preparedness. I saw how preparedness 118 00:08:15,366 --> 00:08:19,500 worked with Ebola. You may recall and your viewers will recall, when President Obama 119 00:08:19,500 --> 00:08:24,500 took office, H1N1 was very real, and that preparedness helped. 120 00:08:26,433 --> 00:08:28,533 Those shouldn't be partisan issues. We should be able to come together around principles 121 00:08:28,533 --> 00:08:30,666 of preparedness. 122 00:08:30,666 --> 00:08:32,600 JUDY WOODRUFF: Very quickly, plans still on for the Democratic National Convention in 123 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:34,633 July? 124 00:08:34,633 --> 00:08:36,766 TOM PEREZ: Yes, they are. And we're going to continue to work with federal, state and 125 00:08:36,766 --> 00:08:41,666 local officials to make sure that we put no one in harm's way, so that we can have a good 126 00:08:41,666 --> 00:08:43,100 convention. 127 00:08:43,100 --> 00:08:44,033 JUDY WOODRUFF: Tom Perez, thank you very much. 128 00:08:44,033 --> 00:08:45,066 TOM PEREZ: Thank you.