WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:06.070 align:start ROBERT COSTA: Tonight, a special report inside the final days of this campaign. 00:06.070 --> 00:09.460 align:start PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: (From video.) If I don't sound like a typical Washington 00:09.460 --> 00:14.250 align:start politician, it's because I'm not a politician. 00:14.250 --> 00:16.790 align:start FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH BIDEN: (From video.) We need a president who's going to 00:16.790 --> 00:19.490 align:start bring us together, not pull us apart. 00:19.490 --> 00:25.940 align:start COSTA: The future of America on the line as record numbers vote early and outbreaks 00:25.940 --> 00:28.790 align:start spike in key states. 00:28.790 --> 00:32.090 align:start PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: (From video.) What's his closing argument? 00:32.090 --> 00:37.590 align:start That people are too focused on COVID. He's jealous of COVID's media coverage. 00:37.590 --> 00:43.850 align:start COSTA: Democrats hope for a revival of the Obama coalition and push into the South and 00:43.850 --> 00:48.150 align:start Sun Belt, but it all could come down to Pennsylvania. 00:48.150 --> 00:52.130 align:start JOANNE KOGOY: (From video.) What is Trump giving you? He's giving everything to the rich. 00:52.130 --> 00:55.880 align:start TINA HAMILTON: (From video.) I think that he's more for America than anybody I can think of right now. 00:55.880 --> 00:58.820 align:start COSTA: Next. 00:58.820 --> 01:08.020 align:start ANNOUNCER: This is Washington Week. Once again, from Washington, moderator Robert Costa. 01:08.020 --> 01:13.880 align:start COSTA: Good evening and welcome to a special hourlong edition of Washington Week kicking 01:13.880 --> 01:19.160 align:start off the final weekend of a campaign that has left this nation tense and divided. 01:19.160 --> 01:23.430 align:start In our first half-hour we will discuss the latest on the fight for the White House and 01:23.430 --> 01:28.150 align:start Congress, and in our second half-hour - which will be carried by many PBS stations - we 01:28.150 --> 01:31.490 align:start will take you on a journey across Pennsylvania. 01:31.490 --> 01:36.460 align:start But first we begin with three trusted reporters who have been friends of this program 01:36.460 --> 01:41.740 align:start throughout the campaign: Kristen Welker, White House correspondent for NBC News and 01:41.740 --> 01:47.390 align:start co-anchor of Weekend Today - she also served, as you know, as the steady and sharp 01:47.390 --> 01:53.580 align:start moderator of that final presidential debate; Yamiche Alcindor, White House correspondent 01:53.580 --> 01:59.180 align:start for the PBS NewsHour, and today we learned the winner of the National Association of 01:59.180 --> 02:04.830 align:start Black Journalists Award for journalist of the year - congratulations, Yamiche; and Dan 02:04.830 --> 02:08.580 align:start Balz, chief correspondent for The Washington Post. 02:08.580 --> 02:12.760 align:start So glad to have you all here on this important Friday evening. 02:12.760 --> 02:18.130 align:start Let's begin with a quick listen to the closing arguments on the pandemic, which has 02:18.130 --> 02:25.850 align:start killed nearly 230,000 Americans. And as case numbers spike, here is what they're saying. 02:25.850 --> 02:31.090 align:start PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: (From video.) If you vote for Biden, it means no kids in school, 02:31.090 --> 02:35.990 align:start no graduations, no weddings, no Thanksgiving, no Christmas. 02:35.990 --> 02:39.160 align:start FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH BIDEN: (From video.) I'm not going to shut down the 02:39.160 --> 02:43.070 align:start economy. I'm not going to shut down the country. But I am going to shut down the virus. 02:43.070 --> 02:46.660 align:start PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: (From video.) COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID. 02:46.660 --> 02:49.990 align:start By the way, on November 4th you won't hear about it anymore. 02:49.990 --> 02:54.350 align:start FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH BIDEN: (From video.) Dr. Fauci called last week for a mask 02:54.350 --> 03:00.030 align:start mandate. This isn't a political statement; it's patriotic duty, for God's sake. 03:00.030 --> 03:05.050 align:start COSTA: Kristen, when you're talking to your sources at the White House, do they believe 03:05.050 --> 03:10.030 align:start the president's argument on the pandemic is breaking through or are swing voters, women 03:10.030 --> 03:13.050 align:start in the suburbs not convinced? 03:13.050 --> 03:17.700 align:start KRISTEN WELKER: Well, Bob, thanks for having me and thanks for that introduction. 03:17.700 --> 03:22.460 align:start Look, I think there is some trepidation about President Trump trying to turn the page on 03:22.460 --> 03:26.860 align:start the COVID crisis even among some of his closet advisors and allies. 03:26.860 --> 03:32.590 align:start Yes, they acknowledge that they want him to try to project confidence, but they don't 03:32.590 --> 03:36.350 align:start want him to appear out of step with the reality on the ground. 03:36.350 --> 03:40.500 align:start And what are we seeing as we head into the final four days of this race? 03:40.500 --> 03:45.590 align:start Cases of COVID spiking in key battleground states, Bob, and all across the country, 03:45.590 --> 03:50.250 align:start frankly. They want his message to be clear. They want it to be targeted. They also 03:50.250 --> 03:55.320 align:start want him to focus more on the economy. We got a strong report on the GDP growth earlier 03:55.320 --> 03:58.630 align:start this week. They want him to stay focused on that. 03:58.630 --> 04:02.830 align:start As you know, he's spent a lot of time on the campaign trail in these key battleground 04:02.830 --> 04:07.790 align:start states taking aim at some of his political rivals, and so not staying focused on what 04:07.790 --> 04:11.670 align:start they think continues to be his strongest talking point, which is the economy. 04:11.670 --> 04:16.230 align:start And I can tell you, I was out talking to voters and those who support him continue to go 04:16.230 --> 04:20.490 align:start back to that argument. They say, look, we think ultimately he is going to be the 04:20.490 --> 04:24.650 align:start best person for our bottom line, for our business, and so that's why his advisors 04:24.650 --> 04:28.510 align:start want him to stay on track, want him to stay on message, Bob. 04:28.510 --> 04:32.360 align:start COSTA: And Yamiche, you've spent a lot of time talking to voters in Florida, such a 04:32.360 --> 04:35.560 align:start critical state. What have you learned? 04:35.560 --> 04:40.380 align:start YAMICHE ALCINDOR: What I've learned is that if you're a supporter of President Trump 04:40.380 --> 04:44.770 align:start then you get onboard with this idea that the coronavirus has had too much attention and 04:44.770 --> 04:49.080 align:start it's occupying too much space in the media landscape. You get onboard with the idea 04:49.080 --> 04:53.440 align:start that even if you get the coronavirus that it's not that bad, that it won't kill you. 04:53.440 --> 04:57.010 align:start You get onboard with the idea that it's somewhat like the flu. 04:57.010 --> 05:00.690 align:start What we do know, of course, as Kristen just said, is that the coronavirus is spiking all 05:00.690 --> 05:06.750 align:start across the country; 47 states. Today we passed 9 million cases overall in the United States. 05:06.750 --> 05:10.380 align:start So if you're a Trump supporter you're looking at those numbers and saying, well, those 05:10.380 --> 05:14.090 align:start numbers are bad, but it doesn't matter who is president these numbers would still be bad. 05:14.090 --> 05:18.980 align:start What I hear from supporters of Joe Biden is that they feel as though the president's 05:18.980 --> 05:22.650 align:start message is callous. They think that it's ridiculous for the president to be walking 05:22.650 --> 05:26.050 align:start around talking about the fact that he got the coronavirus and he's OK because, of 05:26.050 --> 05:29.360 align:start course, he had access to some of the best medical care. 05:29.360 --> 05:33.530 align:start And I'm hearing from Biden supporters a real nervousness that also, when they look at the 05:33.530 --> 05:37.130 align:start polls, that while they don't like the president's message - President Trump's message, 05:37.130 --> 05:40.820 align:start they're worried that the person that they are supporting, Joe Biden, that he might not 05:40.820 --> 05:44.750 align:start get the turnout needed in key battleground states like Florida, like Wisconsin, like 05:44.750 --> 05:48.310 align:start Pennsylvania to make sure that this election goes his way. 05:48.310 --> 05:52.410 align:start When you talk to supporters of the president, also the one thing that I'm really stuck by 05:52.410 --> 05:56.170 align:start is the way that you view this election is really life or death and the way that you view 05:56.170 --> 05:59.700 align:start the coronavirus, it goes hand in hand with the way that you view who you're voting and 05:59.700 --> 06:02.810 align:start who you're supporting in this election. 06:02.810 --> 06:07.280 align:start COSTA: Dan, those are high stakes. You study polls as closely as anyone. 06:07.280 --> 06:13.130 align:start Is the Biden campaign nervous that the pandemic might not be the driver in terms of voter 06:13.130 --> 06:18.170 align:start energy that they hoped in terms of getting swing voters and independent voters to listen 06:18.170 --> 06:20.910 align:start closely to the vice president? 06:20.910 --> 06:26.290 align:start DAN BALZ: I think, Bob - and first of all, let me just say congratulations to Kristen 06:26.290 --> 06:31.130 align:start and to Yamiche. Those are - those are both wonderful things that they've done and I 06:31.130 --> 06:36.920 align:start congratulate them. Back to the polls, I think the Biden campaign feels as though they 06:36.920 --> 06:42.180 align:start are in a good place, but given what happened in 2016 there has to be nervousness. 06:42.180 --> 06:48.380 align:start If you talk to people around the Biden campaign, they express confidence but there are 06:48.380 --> 06:50.760 align:start many Democrats who are nervous. 06:50.760 --> 06:55.730 align:start I talked to a Republican strategist today and he said, you know, in many ways if you look 06:55.730 --> 07:01.380 align:start at the polling you could argue that this campaign is in pretty good hands for Biden to 07:01.380 --> 07:06.320 align:start win it, and yet, he said, because of what happened in 2016 many people are unwilling to 07:06.320 --> 07:11.090 align:start do that. There is still a path for the president to win this, and so there's nervousness all 07:11.090 --> 07:17.650 align:start around. But in the key states at this point, the Biden campaign feels as though 07:17.650 --> 07:23.600 align:start they go into election day and with the early voting in a pretty decent position. 07:23.600 --> 07:28.300 align:start COSTA: Let's get into this idea of turnout on the Democratic side and energy. 07:28.300 --> 07:32.520 align:start And one of the moments this week that really mattered in my notebook is when President Obama 07:32.520 --> 07:39.360 align:start returned to the campaign trail in Orlando, Florida, as Democrats try to revive the Obama coalition. 07:39.360 --> 07:43.660 align:start PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: (From video.) We've got to turn out like never before, Orlando. 07:43.660 --> 07:50.190 align:start We have to leave no doubt. We can't be complacent. We were complacent last time. 07:50.190 --> 07:58.410 align:start Folks got a little lazy, folks took things for granted, and look what happened. 07:58.410 --> 08:03.480 align:start COSTA: Kristen, what does President Obama's reentry onto the scene mean for Democrats in 08:03.480 --> 08:09.550 align:start places like Philadelphia, your home city, and in places like Georgia in the Deep South? 08:09.550 --> 08:15.110 align:start WELKER: Well, there's no one who energizes Democrats and, frankly, the coalition that 08:15.110 --> 08:21.500 align:start put President Obama into office like Mr. Obama. He is the person who energizes the 08:21.500 --> 08:27.800 align:start Democratic base, also brings together some independents, those suburban women that are 08:27.800 --> 08:31.410 align:start going to be so critical, that this election is ultimately going to turn on. 08:31.410 --> 08:36.660 align:start And don't forget he is the best character witness for Joe Biden, and so he is there 08:36.660 --> 08:41.950 align:start taking aim at President Trump in ways that we have not seen, frankly, until he has hit 08:41.950 --> 08:47.550 align:start the trail in recent days, and really serving to underscore Biden's key point, which is 08:47.550 --> 08:51.380 align:start that he thinks he's going to be better at fighting COVID-19. 08:51.380 --> 08:56.790 align:start So this is going to be critical, particularly as we are seeing rates of early voting that 08:56.790 --> 09:02.720 align:start we did not see in 2016 - Democrats outpacing Republicans, that is what you would expect. 09:02.720 --> 09:07.450 align:start So the question is going to be, can Republicans match that turnout and beat it on 09:07.450 --> 09:12.400 align:start election day? Democrats are feeling confident though about these early numbers. 09:12.400 --> 09:16.920 align:start It's worth noting that by election day, Bob, we're expecting two-thirds of the expected 09:16.920 --> 09:21.880 align:start electorate to have already voted. That is significant. The question is, where are 09:21.880 --> 09:25.750 align:start those votes going? But undoubtably former President Obama is going to be significant 09:25.750 --> 09:29.170 align:start in terms of energizing that coalition of voters to the polls. 09:29.170 --> 09:32.560 align:start COSTA: And what about that Bernie Sanders coalition, Yamiche? 09:32.560 --> 09:36.020 align:start You've covered Senator Sanders for years. 09:36.020 --> 09:39.280 align:start I noticed Senator Harris, Vice President Biden's running mate, has been campaigning with 09:39.280 --> 09:44.440 align:start him this week. Are the Sanders voters going to come out, based on your reporting? 09:44.440 --> 09:51.580 align:start ALCINDOR: Based on my reporting the Sanders voters see Joe Biden as a more palatable 09:51.580 --> 09:56.290 align:start person that they can back, as opposed to Hillary Clinton in 2016. We saw a real 09:56.290 --> 10:01.950 align:start anti-Hillary Clinton sentiment among former Biden - former Sanders supporters, rather. 10:01.950 --> 10:05.420 align:start They were people that never really got on board with Hillary Clinton. 10:05.420 --> 10:09.280 align:start I'm not seeing that same feeling when it talk to former Sanders supporters. 10:09.280 --> 10:12.980 align:start I was in Miami talking to a young Black man who said: I'm voting for Joe Biden. 10:12.980 --> 10:15.690 align:start I'm not enthusiastic. He wasn't my first pick. 10:15.690 --> 10:19.580 align:start I was really hoping Bernie would get in there, that he would be able to have a more 10:19.580 --> 10:23.300 align:start progressive tone, that the Democratic Party would go more to the AOC wing with the Green 10:23.300 --> 10:26.530 align:start New Deal and banning fracking, and all sorts of things. 10:26.530 --> 10:31.060 align:start That being said, the voters, especially in the Democratic Party, they see President 10:31.060 --> 10:34.390 align:start Trump as an existential threat. They see him as a threat to democracy. 10:34.390 --> 10:38.080 align:start They also see him as a threat to their daily lives, when you think about not only the 10:38.080 --> 10:41.950 align:start coronavirus but also police killings and criminal justice in this country. 10:41.950 --> 10:46.700 align:start So my feeling on the ground is that the progressives are more energized by Joe Biden than 10:46.700 --> 10:49.040 align:start they were Hillary Clinton. 10:49.040 --> 10:52.900 align:start The big question, of course, is can Joe Biden run up the numbers enough so that the 10:52.900 --> 10:56.460 align:start coalition that he built - which will likely be different from the coalition from Hillary 10:56.460 --> 11:01.190 align:start Clinton and Barack Obama - can he build a coalition that outpaces the coalition that 11:01.190 --> 11:03.700 align:start we're seeing in the Trump campaign. 11:03.700 --> 11:07.010 align:start The Trump campaign feels very good about their numbers when it comes to places like 11:07.010 --> 11:10.980 align:start Florida. They feel like they can run up White non-college educated Americans. 11:10.980 --> 11:15.620 align:start Suburban women they still feel good about. But the big question is, can they turn out 11:15.620 --> 11:19.950 align:start the Trump coalition that came out in 2016 again? And of course, that is the big question. 11:19.950 --> 11:24.760 align:start COSTA: Dan you've written a column this week about Wisconsin, and Michigan, and the 11:24.760 --> 11:29.830 align:start Midwest. What is the outlook there? We see this blizzard of polling, but what 11:29.830 --> 11:35.140 align:start is your veteran perspective on what's going on in the Midwest? 11:35.140 --> 11:41.190 align:start BALZ: Well, Bob, those are the three keys to this election. There are many states in play. 11:41.190 --> 11:47.050 align:start There's a lot of competition in a lot of places. But I think most people believe that 11:47.050 --> 11:50.620 align:start this race is likely to come down to those three states. 11:50.620 --> 11:55.860 align:start If the president is able to hold everything in the South that he won before, wins again 11:55.860 --> 12:01.430 align:start in Ohio and Iowa, both of which are competitive but which he won pretty easily last time, 12:01.430 --> 12:05.530 align:start then those three states that you mentioned are the keys to the outcome. 12:05.530 --> 12:12.540 align:start Throughout the fall Vice President Biden has held a lead - a lead of four points, five 12:12.540 --> 12:17.150 align:start points, six points, eight points - you look at different polls they're in different 12:17.150 --> 12:20.530 align:start places. But he's held a fairly steady lead. 12:20.530 --> 12:24.100 align:start But it is not necessarily an insurmountable lead, because we don't know what the 12:24.100 --> 12:27.720 align:start composition of the electorate ultimately is going to be like. 12:27.720 --> 12:32.030 align:start We've all been poring over these early vote numbers, trying to - you know, trying to 12:32.030 --> 12:36.440 align:start read clues, and get signs and signals. But it's very difficult, because we don't 12:36.440 --> 12:41.080 align:start know what's left among the people who haven't voted and how they're going to break. 12:41.080 --> 12:46.330 align:start We assume that the election day vote will be much more heavily in favor of President Trump. 12:46.330 --> 12:50.580 align:start We know that the early vote in many places has been more heavily in favor of Biden. 12:50.580 --> 12:56.710 align:start But in those three states, this is - these could be close, or Biden might have a lead 12:56.710 --> 13:01.800 align:start that's sustainable and gets him through. The other thing to know about those states 13:01.800 --> 13:05.500 align:start is that none of them is likely to have full results on the night of the election. 13:05.500 --> 13:10.630 align:start They have a lot of unprocessed mail ballots that will take hours and perhaps days before 13:10.630 --> 13:13.060 align:start they're fully counted. 13:13.060 --> 13:17.860 align:start COSTA: Dan, just to be clear, you're talking about Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. 13:17.860 --> 13:22.070 align:start BALZ: Correct, yes. Those three states. None of them - none of them can begin to 13:22.070 --> 13:26.800 align:start process until Michigan on Monday and the other two on Tuesday. 13:26.800 --> 13:31.180 align:start So it will be a slow process. Everybody needs to be patient. 13:31.180 --> 13:36.320 align:start COSTA: Let's talk about that point, because the courts, they are the cloud over all of this. 13:36.320 --> 13:41.700 align:start And Judge Amy Coney Barrett this week became Justice Barrett, as the Senate confirmed her 13:41.700 --> 13:47.590 align:start on a 52 to 48 vote. Democrats remain outraged about that process, but Majority Leader 13:47.590 --> 13:52.120 align:start Mitch McConnell has certainly been taking a victory lap. Justice Barrett has not yet 13:52.120 --> 13:57.890 align:start participated in election cases. But that could change in the coming weeks amid the 13:57.890 --> 14:04.530 align:start court challenges referenced by Dan on vote counts. Kristen, when you look at the 14:04.530 --> 14:09.880 align:start court challenges on the horizon, what's the preparation going on in both parties? 14:09.880 --> 14:15.080 align:start WELKER: Oh, boy, a lot of preparation, that is for sure. And of course, questions to 14:15.080 --> 14:20.890 align:start Justice Amy Coney Barrett, would she recuse herself, and she's declined to answer that question. 14:20.890 --> 14:27.930 align:start But that alone could energize voters to come out, and perhaps the president's supporters 14:27.930 --> 14:33.620 align:start to turn out. But we do know that both campaigns already have a robust effort in these 14:33.620 --> 14:39.270 align:start critical states. They are ready if and when there are legal challenges to meet those 14:39.270 --> 14:44.530 align:start legal challenges. And again, they are underscoring to voters that the key here is patience. 14:44.530 --> 14:49.370 align:start I have to tell you, I spent time in Florida this week as well, in Tampa, and of course 14:49.370 --> 14:54.890 align:start that is a part of a critical swing district. And I spoke with election officials there. 14:54.890 --> 14:58.900 align:start And what's significant about Florida, of course, is that they are already counting those 14:58.900 --> 15:03.330 align:start early votes. And so they say it is likely we will know the results of Florida if not on 15:03.330 --> 15:09.020 align:start election night, soon thereafter. That is a big, big prize with its 29 electoral votes. 15:09.020 --> 15:13.750 align:start But in those other critical states, that is where the action is going to be. 15:13.750 --> 15:16.860 align:start And both sides say they're ready for it. 15:16.860 --> 15:20.040 align:start COSTA: Yamiche, I spoke to Jim Clyburn, the House majority whip, this week. 15:20.040 --> 15:24.640 align:start And he expressed a lot of concern about voter suppression in his state of South Carolina. 15:24.640 --> 15:29.360 align:start Jamie Harrison, the Democrat, trying to topple incumbent Lindsey Graham, the long-time 15:29.360 --> 15:35.160 align:start Republican senator. You track voter suppression around the country, what are activist groups 15:35.160 --> 15:41.110 align:start and Democratic leaders saying behind the scenes about what they're detecting on the ground? 15:41.110 --> 15:46.770 align:start ALCINDOR: Well, there's a lot of nervousness about voter suppression, especially looking 15:46.770 --> 15:50.320 align:start at states like South Carolina, looking at states like Georgia. 15:50.320 --> 15:55.990 align:start People are very worried that the Republican legislatures - which of course are many and 15:55.990 --> 16:01.730 align:start plentiful in this country - that they will somehow find a way to have legislation as well 16:01.730 --> 16:06.590 align:start as backing of voter suppression efforts. They're very worried that there are polling 16:06.590 --> 16:10.250 align:start stations that are going to be closed. They're very worried about long lines. 16:10.250 --> 16:14.260 align:start People have faced hours - sometimes four hours, six hours - to vote in this country. 16:14.260 --> 16:20.500 align:start Republicans have been the party that historically has had the most voter suppression in 16:20.500 --> 16:25.380 align:start terms of allegations. We all remember that North Carolina judge saying that in that 16:25.380 --> 16:32.420 align:start state Republicans targeted Black voters with surgical precision to try to suppress 16:32.420 --> 16:36.420 align:start their vote. So I think there's a lot of nervousness among Democrats. That's why you've 16:36.420 --> 16:42.600 align:start heard Joe Biden say, as well as Michelle Obama, as well as Barack Obama, vote early. Make a plan. 16:42.600 --> 16:47.580 align:start Because Democrats understand that they might be up against voter suppression efforts, and 16:47.580 --> 16:51.420 align:start they want an electorate that understands that this is an election that they want to see a 16:51.420 --> 16:55.320 align:start blowout with, because any sort of issues with voter suppression, any sort of close 16:55.320 --> 16:59.250 align:start elections, that makes people very, very nervous. That makes people feel like there 16:59.250 --> 17:05.190 align:start might be litigation. As Kristen said very smartly, both campaigns have amassed numbers 17:05.190 --> 17:10.460 align:start of lawyers to get ready for this. The RNC telling me just tonight that they have 17:10.460 --> 17:14.150 align:start $20 million set aside already for legal battles ahead. 17:14.150 --> 17:17.780 align:start So what you see is both campaigns being very, very nervous. 17:17.780 --> 17:21.480 align:start But on the Democratic side in particularly being nervous about voter suppression. 17:21.480 --> 17:25.160 align:start COSTA: Dan, when we all wake up on Wednesday morning - we may end up staying up all 17:25.160 --> 17:30.460 align:start night, of course - what's your outlook for the U.S. Senate majority and the U.S. House? 17:30.460 --> 17:34.590 align:start Does it remain in Democratic hands in the House and in Republican hands in the Senate? 17:34.590 --> 17:38.290 align:start I mean, you look at some of these Senate races, Dan, like Michigan, very tight up there, 17:38.290 --> 17:42.580 align:start Montana pretty tight, South Carolina also in the mix. 17:42.580 --> 17:48.760 align:start BALZ: Bob, I think everybody believes that the Democrats will continue to hold the 17:48.760 --> 17:53.380 align:start House and might in fact add to their majority in the House. In the Senate, Republicans 17:53.380 --> 17:57.830 align:start are quite nervous about their ability to hold onto their majority. 17:57.830 --> 18:03.580 align:start There are several races that they have pretty much given up on - Colorado being one, 18:03.580 --> 18:10.180 align:start Arizona being another. We know that in Maine Senator Collins is in real trouble. 18:10.180 --> 18:14.430 align:start We know that in Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is in trouble. 18:14.430 --> 18:18.980 align:start There are - there are any number of races - and there are two in Georgia that look very 18:18.980 --> 18:23.600 align:start close at this point and are likely to, one or both, go into a run-off. 18:23.600 --> 18:28.930 align:start So I think at this point Republicans are fearful that the majority that they have will 18:28.930 --> 18:32.780 align:start disappear on election night. But it's certainly not a given. 18:32.780 --> 18:38.180 align:start COSTA: And, Kristen, it appears the president's running his own campaign. He was there 18:38.180 --> 18:42.820 align:start in Arizona with Senator McSally. He brought her on stage for what seemed like a minute, 18:42.820 --> 18:47.910 align:start and then she got off the stage. She of course had a moment at a debate a few weeks ago 18:47.910 --> 18:53.110 align:start where she wasn't clear when she was asked whether she is proud to stand with President Trump. 18:53.110 --> 18:59.600 align:start WELKER: Well, absolutely, and all of those senators who are in tough spots are being 18:59.600 --> 19:05.540 align:start pressed on what they think about President Trump's handling of the COVID crisis, and so 19:05.540 --> 19:09.790 align:start that has created some real tensions. And I think that moment that you reference 19:09.790 --> 19:13.640 align:start underscores exactly what we are seeing in these key races. 19:13.640 --> 19:18.420 align:start Here the president had her on stage - barely a ringing endorsement from President Trump 19:18.420 --> 19:22.620 align:start for her. She was just there for a minute, as you say. 19:22.620 --> 19:29.010 align:start And so it just speaks to how precarious some of these seats actually are. 19:29.010 --> 19:34.420 align:start You talk about Georgia and that race between John Ossoff and Perdue, for example. Those are 19:34.420 --> 19:38.760 align:start one of the - that's one of the races that undoubtedly is going to drive turnout in that state. 19:38.760 --> 19:43.480 align:start That's one of the reasons that you saw Biden campaigning there earlier this week; not 19:43.480 --> 19:49.380 align:start just because he believes he potentially could pull off a win in reliably red Georgia, but 19:49.380 --> 19:55.310 align:start also because he wants to drive up the turnout for those critical Senate races in that state. 19:55.310 --> 19:59.660 align:start COSTA: Let's do a lightning round. We're on the eve of the election - at least Washington Week - 19:59.660 --> 20:06.180 align:start a few days before the election. Yamiche, what will you be watching on election night? 20:06.180 --> 20:10.270 align:start ALCINDOR: Since we're coming to a close, the first thing I just want to say is I'm so 20:10.270 --> 20:13.520 align:start excited to be on this panel, especially with you and Kristen. 20:13.520 --> 20:18.510 align:start So I will be watching all of you covering this race because I feel like all of you have 20:18.510 --> 20:22.450 align:start just, I think, really approached this with such grace and such smartness. 20:22.450 --> 20:26.930 align:start That being said, I'm going to be watching this because I feel it's a race about how 20:26.930 --> 20:31.090 align:start people are feeling about the empathy that people are feeling because this is a race that 20:31.090 --> 20:34.760 align:start is really life and death. When I was talking to voters, it's not about policies and 20:34.760 --> 20:38.230 align:start about the different political platforms, it's about whether or not people feel like 20:38.230 --> 20:41.570 align:start whoever they are supporting will help them survive and thrive in this. 20:41.570 --> 20:44.470 align:start That's something that's different from past elections that I've seen. 20:44.470 --> 20:49.000 align:start So I'm going to really be watching how people emotionally react to all that's going on, 20:49.000 --> 20:54.010 align:start and how people tell people about how they voted, and how they made their decisions based 20:54.010 --> 20:57.340 align:start on their hearts and minds rather than on policy. 20:57.340 --> 21:01.560 align:start COSTA: Kristen, you will be part of NBC's special coverage on election night starting at 21:01.560 --> 21:05.390 align:start 7:00 p.m. Eastern. What will you be watching? 21:05.390 --> 21:09.950 align:start WELKER: Well, Bob, and I return the compliment to Yamiche and all of you - looking forward to 21:09.950 --> 21:17.060 align:start seeing all of your coverage. I'm going to be watching to see what the Latino turnout will be. 21:17.060 --> 21:22.780 align:start There has been so much focus in these closing days on trying to drive up the Latino vote. 21:22.780 --> 21:27.080 align:start We just saw Vice President Biden announce that, if in fact he is elected, he's going to 21:27.080 --> 21:32.770 align:start form a taskforce on day one to try to reunite those children - some 500 children who are 21:32.770 --> 21:38.230 align:start separated from their parents under President Trump's "zero tolerance" policy, it's a 21:38.230 --> 21:41.800 align:start policy that has been reversed, but there are still those hundreds of children that haven't 21:41.800 --> 21:46.030 align:start been reunited with their families. Was it too late to announce that type of initiative? 21:46.030 --> 21:51.490 align:start Or will it have an impact? The Latino vote is going to be so critical in a number of 21:51.490 --> 21:56.580 align:start these states, particularly in the Sun Belt - Florida; also states like Arizona. So that 21:56.580 --> 22:02.660 align:start could make a big difference in terms of who winds up pulling out a win in these critical states. 22:02.660 --> 22:06.590 align:start COSTA: Dan Balz, what will you be watching? 22:06.590 --> 22:10.910 align:start BALZ: Well, Bob, in addition to watching the main battlegrounds like everybody in this 22:10.910 --> 22:15.810 align:start panel tonight and everybody around the country, I'm going to be watching Texas. 22:15.810 --> 22:19.570 align:start Texas is a fascinating story this year. We don't know how it's going to come out. 22:19.570 --> 22:23.140 align:start I think at this point you have to say President Trump would still be the favorite. 22:23.140 --> 22:26.660 align:start But there has been an amazing amount of early voting in that state. 22:26.660 --> 22:32.110 align:start Texas passed nine million early votes yesterday, continuing to add to it. 22:32.110 --> 22:37.990 align:start They have already had more people vote early than who voted in all of the 2016 election. 22:37.990 --> 22:44.820 align:start Every major urban county, with only a couple of exceptions, has already surpassed its 22:44.820 --> 22:50.590 align:start 2016 total vote, and the ones that haven't will be there certainly within a day or two or 22:50.590 --> 22:56.350 align:start three. So what is going on in Texas is the transformation that we're seeing across 22:56.350 --> 23:00.570 align:start other places in the Sun Belt - Arizona and Georgia being part of it. 23:00.570 --> 23:06.100 align:start There's a demographic change. There's economic growth. There's influx of new people. 23:06.100 --> 23:10.600 align:start There's the changing suburban vote that we're seeing in other places around the country 23:10.600 --> 23:16.240 align:start that's also affecting Texas. So this has turned a state that Donald Trump won by nine 23:16.240 --> 23:21.140 align:start points four years ago and that other Republicans have won by double digits for many, 23:21.140 --> 23:25.690 align:start many years now being a competitive state. And if you talk to people on both 23:25.690 --> 23:29.800 align:start sides, as I've done today, they each believe that they can win. 23:29.800 --> 23:35.090 align:start COSTA: And what I'll be watching as a reporter is what President Trump says. 23:35.090 --> 23:40.930 align:start Does he declare victory or not as many states still wait for the count of their vote? 23:40.930 --> 23:46.030 align:start How does he handle this crossroads for him politically, personally, someone who cares so 23:46.030 --> 23:49.920 align:start much about his brand? It's something to watch on election night at a critical moment 23:49.920 --> 23:53.200 align:start for democracy. But we'll have to leave it there for now. 23:53.200 --> 23:57.690 align:start Many thanks to our reporters: Kristen Welker, Yamiche Alcindor and Dan Balz. 23:57.690 --> 24:03.990 align:start And after a quick break, we will continue our special tonight on many PBS stations, and 24:03.990 --> 24:10.660 align:start go deep into the battleground of Pennsylvania. I'm Robert Costa. See you soon. 24:10.660 --> 24:13.010 align:start (Break.) 24:13.010 --> 24:19.010 align:start COSTA: Inside battleground Pennsylvania with the voters who could decide it all. 24:19.010 --> 24:25.210 align:start Will President Trump stun the political world once again, or will Vice President Biden 24:25.210 --> 24:31.260 align:start win the state and the White House? The pandemic, of course, is a key issue. 24:31.260 --> 24:35.390 align:start ELIZABETH PARKER: (From video.) It was political for our president from the very beginning. 24:35.390 --> 24:40.060 align:start COSTA: But so are debates on rights and race. 24:40.060 --> 24:42.720 align:start MICAH REAM: (From video.) He has been one of the most pro-life presidents of our generation. 24:42.720 --> 24:46.010 align:start ZOE STURGES: (From video.) I would like police officers removed from Philadelphia schools. 24:46.010 --> 24:49.750 align:start COSTA: And the economy, it hovers over everything. 24:49.750 --> 24:55.130 align:start GUY BERKEBILE: (From video.) My company has lost literally dozens of jobs to the Chinese. 24:55.130 --> 24:57.700 align:start JOANNE KOGOY: (From video.) The working man is getting nothing. 24:57.700 --> 25:01.330 align:start COSTA: Coming up on Washington Week's Special Report. 25:01.330 --> 25:11.610 align:start ANNOUNCER: This is Washington Week. Once again, from Washington, moderator Robert Costa. 25:11.610 --> 25:15.630 align:start COSTA: Good evening and welcome to this special edition of Washington Week. 25:15.630 --> 25:20.290 align:start We'll soon be joined by Kristen Welker, White House correspondent for NBC News. 25:20.290 --> 25:25.970 align:start But first we begin a reporting journey into a state that's more critical than ever: 25:25.970 --> 25:30.780 align:start Pennsylvania. Its voters have been courted in recent days and at the center of the 25:30.780 --> 25:35.790 align:start nation's debate over voting rights amid a pandemic. The Supreme Court has even weighed 25:35.790 --> 25:40.800 align:start in, allowing some mail-in ballots to be counted up to three days after election day. 25:40.800 --> 25:45.440 align:start But tonight's trek, it's what we call a follow in the newsroom - a follow of the story I 25:45.440 --> 25:49.040 align:start published four years ago in The Washington Post. 25:49.040 --> 25:54.350 align:start I drove across my home state to hear from voters in small towns and cities, and those 25:54.350 --> 25:58.930 align:start exchanges revealed so much. They hinted at President Trump's coming victory. 25:58.930 --> 26:05.180 align:start So this year I decided to go back, linked remotely this time by a camera crew, and we 26:05.180 --> 26:11.380 align:start begin in western Pennsylvania - starting in the same place as last time. 26:11.380 --> 26:22.950 align:start Aliquippa was a thriving steel town until the J&L Mill closed in the 1980s. 26:22.950 --> 26:29.460 align:start Now downtown is almost deserted, a union hamlet that went for Hillary Clinton, but it's 26:29.460 --> 26:36.050 align:start nestled in a county won by Trump and it's the kind of place Biden needs to do well - but 26:36.050 --> 26:41.610 align:start it won't be easy. John, it's good to see you. It's been four years. John Rita's father 26:41.610 --> 26:46.660 align:start and two uncles worked at the steel plant, and so did he for a while. He told me in 26:46.660 --> 26:52.200 align:start 2016 that he was skeptical of Trump, but this time around he's leaning toward the president. 26:52.200 --> 26:57.110 align:start JOHN RITA: (From video.) I'm leaning towards Trump because he's got a pulse on 26:57.110 --> 27:01.130 align:start everything. I mean, he's rude, he's crude, he's obnoxious, but you know what? 27:01.130 --> 27:06.060 align:start Biden, he's just - he's just there. He said he's from Scranton, but I don't know. 27:06.060 --> 27:10.480 align:start COSTA: John credits Trump with improving the economy here, which includes a new plastic 27:10.480 --> 27:17.320 align:start plant on the banks of the Ohio River, and he worries the Democrats' drift left could pull Biden along. 27:17.320 --> 27:21.050 align:start JOHN RITA: (From video.) He wants to give everybody free hospitalization, free college. 27:21.050 --> 27:23.390 align:start Hey, man, nothing's for free. 27:23.390 --> 27:28.800 align:start COSTA: But Aliquippa's mayor, Dwan Walker, backs Biden and says many here won't buy the 27:28.800 --> 27:33.870 align:start president's populist pitch again. Mayor, when I was driving through your city four 27:33.870 --> 27:38.220 align:start years ago I heard a lot about China, I heard a lot about trade. 27:38.220 --> 27:42.130 align:start President Trump convinced many people in that region on that front. 27:42.130 --> 27:45.700 align:start Do you believe he could do the same again in 2020? 27:45.700 --> 27:48.530 align:start ALIQUIPPA, PA MAYOR DWAN WALKER: (From video.) Listen, there's people sitting in bars 27:48.530 --> 27:52.260 align:start right now in Aliquippa hoping the steel mills come back, but to say that you will be the 27:52.260 --> 27:55.320 align:start one person that bring it back, nah, you set the bar too high for that. 27:55.320 --> 27:57.430 align:start You made a promise you could not keep. 27:57.430 --> 28:00.650 align:start COSTA: The economic drivers in the region are health care and energy, including 28:00.650 --> 28:04.840 align:start fracking. Both parties claim credit for the new jobs. Chris, you voted for 28:04.840 --> 28:09.800 align:start President Trump in 2016 and plan to do so again in 2020. Why? 28:09.800 --> 28:13.540 align:start CHRISTOPHER BRETT: (From video.) What I've seen over the last, you know, three years has 28:13.540 --> 28:17.820 align:start been a tremendous transformation. This was all dilapidated in the late '70s and early '80s, 28:17.820 --> 28:22.420 align:start but when you drive by here, hiring, hiring, hiring - and even, you know, with the pandemic. 28:22.420 --> 28:27.350 align:start COSTA: Elizabeth Parker didn't vote in 2016. She thought Clinton was a shoo-in. 28:27.350 --> 28:30.530 align:start This time the pandemic is top of mind. 28:30.530 --> 28:34.990 align:start ELIZABETH PARKER: (From video.) I'm a hospice nurse, and I think the saddest part of 28:34.990 --> 28:39.660 align:start this pandemic is that it hasn't been controlled and it's been let loose. 28:39.660 --> 28:42.050 align:start COSTA: Do you blame President Trump? 28:42.050 --> 28:46.010 align:start ELIZABETH PARKER: (From video.) I blame the rhetoric that is used right now. 28:46.010 --> 28:50.610 align:start It's almost cult-like the way his supporters are acting. 28:50.610 --> 28:53.960 align:start PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: (From video.) All I know is I took something, whatever the hell 28:53.960 --> 28:59.220 align:start it was, I felt good very quickly. I don't know what it was, antibodies - antibodies. 28:59.220 --> 29:04.420 align:start I don't know. I took it and I said I felt like Superman. 29:04.420 --> 29:07.850 align:start FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH BIDEN: (From video.) He says it is what it is. 29:07.850 --> 29:11.490 align:start Well, it is what it is because he is who he is. 29:11.490 --> 29:20.540 align:start COSTA: Next stop, Pittsburgh. Long known for football's Steelers and steel, it's 29:20.540 --> 29:24.950 align:start been known in recent years as a hub for tech and medical innovation. 29:24.950 --> 29:31.500 align:start But on the north side, which I visited in 2016, many were struggling then and now. 29:31.500 --> 29:39.310 align:start JACQUELINE THOMAS: (From video.) I'm going to vote for Joe because I think he's wonderful and honest. 29:39.310 --> 29:43.320 align:start COSTA: And Black Lives Matter matters here. 29:43.320 --> 29:47.060 align:start HAROLD WOOD II: (From video.) Pittsburgh has a problem. You've got policemen who 29:47.060 --> 29:52.320 align:start only live in a certain area. How the hell are you going to communicate with people 29:52.320 --> 29:56.800 align:start that you say you live in Pittsburgh with but you don't know their neighborhood? 29:56.800 --> 30:01.460 align:start VERNICE JOHNSON: (From video.) Well, to me Trump is - I'm just going to say it - to me 30:01.460 --> 30:05.080 align:start he seems like he's for the rich and famous, and he's racist. 30:05.080 --> 30:09.220 align:start COSTA: Dr. Benjamin Davies lives in a Squirrel Hill section right near the Tree of 30:09.220 --> 30:13.970 align:start Life Synagogue, where 11 people were murdered in 2018. 30:13.970 --> 30:20.220 align:start Some voters here say the president's rhetoric on immigration fueled the violence. 30:20.220 --> 30:22.800 align:start PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: (From video.) This is an invasion. 30:22.800 --> 30:26.590 align:start BENJAMIN DAVIES: (From video.) It does bring up that issue that people are really more 30:26.590 --> 30:33.030 align:start able to express racist propaganda. That day still is just - makes me nauseous, and in 30:33.030 --> 30:39.250 align:start fact three of my patients passed away. So yeah, I mean, I still - people still walk 30:39.250 --> 30:43.320 align:start around with that haze, you know, from that event. 30:43.320 --> 30:47.310 align:start FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH BIDEN: (From video.) There is no place for hate in America. 30:47.310 --> 30:50.030 align:start REGINA DONAHUE: (From video.) Christopher, oh, yes! 30:50.030 --> 30:53.930 align:start COSTA: For Regina Donahue, the abortion debate is front and center. 30:53.930 --> 30:59.140 align:start A mother of five and a Catholic, she was troubled by Trump's character in 2016 but voted 30:59.140 --> 31:02.250 align:start for him anyway, and she'll do it again. 31:02.250 --> 31:05.960 align:start REGINA DONAHUE: (From video.) I'm a pro-life feminist and I believe that the Trump 31:05.960 --> 31:10.610 align:start administration is - it believes that America is capable of providing women with the 31:10.610 --> 31:13.790 align:start resources that they need to choose life. 31:13.790 --> 31:21.570 align:start COSTA: Next stop, Somerset County - Trump country. 31:21.570 --> 31:25.820 align:start VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: (From video.) It is great to be here in Somerset. 31:25.820 --> 31:29.150 align:start REPORTER: (From video.) Vice President Mike Pence greeted hundreds of people at the Guy 31:29.150 --> 31:31.900 align:start Chemical facility in Somerset. 31:31.900 --> 31:35.810 align:start COSTA: Guy Berkebile is a Trump supporter. He's actually the Guy in Guy Chemical 31:35.810 --> 31:40.280 align:start and says manufacturers like him are being hurt by China. 31:40.280 --> 31:43.990 align:start GUY BERKEBILE: (From video.) These are the unfair trade practices that we've been seeing 31:43.990 --> 31:48.160 align:start for years and no one did anything about until President Trump came into office. 31:48.160 --> 31:53.460 align:start COSTA: Guy, one thing I noticed when I was driving around Pennsylvania in 2016 is 31:53.460 --> 31:59.520 align:start sometimes it would take me two to three to even four questions to get a person to reveal 31:59.520 --> 32:03.220 align:start their support for then-candidate Trump. 32:03.220 --> 32:08.290 align:start Do you believe those so-called quiet supporters are there again in Pennsylvania? 32:08.290 --> 32:11.800 align:start GUY BERKEBILE: (From video.) Yes, and I believe the silent majority is here in 32:11.800 --> 32:16.430 align:start Pennsylvania and we believe in law and order. What a lot of the Trump supporters are afraid 32:16.430 --> 32:21.560 align:start of is retaliation, that somebody's going to come up and smack them against the head. 32:21.560 --> 32:26.880 align:start COSTA: Mike Ream is a 20-year-old Evangelical Christian who is voting for Trump. 32:26.880 --> 32:29.400 align:start What about his character, Mike? 32:29.400 --> 32:32.650 align:start MICAH REAM: (From video.) Some of the things he says, some of the actions he does in his 32:32.650 --> 32:36.890 align:start personal life I may not condone, but to me that's not a key issue for a public servant. 32:36.890 --> 32:39.530 align:start It's really his actions, not what he says. 32:39.530 --> 32:45.490 align:start COSTA: But in western PA there is also Democratic outrage over the Republican rush to install a 32:45.490 --> 32:51.020 align:start new justice on the bench. What went through your mind when you heard Justice Ginsburg had died? 32:51.020 --> 32:55.330 align:start ERIN SHIFFLETT: (From video.) It was a moment of profound sadness and then followed 32:55.330 --> 32:58.050 align:start quickly by a moment of profound fear. 32:58.050 --> 33:02.000 align:start My concern is that any justice that is put through by this administration will be a 33:02.000 --> 33:07.330 align:start conservative justice who is not going to interpret the law appropriately, but instead 33:07.330 --> 33:12.470 align:start will make sure that the ideals of this administration will be fulfilled. 33:12.470 --> 33:18.250 align:start COSTA: And we met Everett Sechler. A former schoolteacher and tree tapper, he makes his 33:18.250 --> 33:23.690 align:start own syrup. Everett, you supported President Trump in 2016. Are you going to support him again? 33:23.690 --> 33:26.030 align:start EVERETT SECHLER: (From video.) I certainly am. 33:26.030 --> 33:27.730 align:start COSTA: Why? 33:27.730 --> 33:31.510 align:start EVERETT SECHLER: (From video.) The present-day Democratic Party should be honest with 33:31.510 --> 33:34.800 align:start Americans and change their name to the Socialist Party. 33:34.800 --> 33:39.250 align:start COSTA: Everett, Vice President Biden keeps telling voters he's a pretty down-the-middle 33:39.250 --> 33:41.430 align:start Democrat. You don't buy it? 33:41.430 --> 33:43.800 align:start EVERETT SECHLER: (From video.) I don't buy it. 33:43.800 --> 33:49.250 align:start We know that Bernie Sanders and AOC is going to lead him around by the nose. 33:49.250 --> 33:52.590 align:start PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: (From video.) He has handed control to the socialists and 33:52.590 --> 33:54.930 align:start Marxists and left-wing extremists. 33:54.930 --> 33:57.700 align:start FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH BIDEN: (From video.) I'm running as a proud Democrat, but 33:57.700 --> 34:00.980 align:start I'm going to govern as an American president. 34:00.980 --> 34:08.310 align:start COSTA: Our final stop out west was to Rick Telesz's soybean farm in Volant. 34:08.310 --> 34:14.560 align:start Rick voted for Trump in 2016. He says the trade war with China has hurt soybean farmers. 34:14.560 --> 34:19.480 align:start He has not only decided to switch his vote, but went so far as to appear at the 34:19.480 --> 34:22.290 align:start Democratic National Convention. 34:22.290 --> 34:25.950 align:start RICK TELESZ: (From video.) Past experience is if something doesn't work for you it's 34:25.950 --> 34:29.650 align:start time for a change, and that's why I'm supporting Joe Biden all the way. 34:29.650 --> 34:34.940 align:start I'll tell you, Donald Trump, whenever he campaigned in '16, he gave us a hell of a sales 34:34.940 --> 34:41.790 align:start pitch, promised us a lot of changes, everything positive, and I see nothing positive come 34:41.790 --> 34:47.010 align:start from his administration over the years. So yeah, I mean, to me Joe Biden's an easy choice. 34:47.010 --> 34:52.890 align:start COSTA: Joining me is Kristen Welker, White House correspondent for NBC News and 34:52.890 --> 34:58.870 align:start co-anchor of Weekend Today. She served as the moderator of the final presidential debate. 34:58.870 --> 35:03.970 align:start Kristen, what's your takeaway after you heard from those voters? 35:03.970 --> 35:11.640 align:start KRISTEN WELKER: What a great report, Bob, and I think it captures what is happening in Pennsylvania. 35:11.640 --> 35:16.500 align:start You have some of President Trump's staunchest supporters who aren't going anywhere and 35:16.500 --> 35:21.000 align:start you hear some of what we hear from President Trump on the campaign trail coming out of 35:21.000 --> 35:25.920 align:start their mouths, concerns about Joe Biden and potentially a socialist agenda, which of 35:25.920 --> 35:31.550 align:start course he would argue is not the case at all, and then you have some of those voters - 35:31.550 --> 35:36.200 align:start the farmer who you interviewed who said he feels as though he's been hurt by the trade 35:36.200 --> 35:42.890 align:start war with China. So that is the tension, and of course those critical voters in the suburbs, 35:42.890 --> 35:48.610 align:start particularly suburban women. That is where this race is going to turn, I think, in 35:48.610 --> 35:52.740 align:start Pennsylvania, so we'll be watching closely to see what happens in the suburbs. 35:52.740 --> 35:58.480 align:start And then Philadelphia. This is a region that Hillary Clinton just didn't get the same 35:58.480 --> 36:05.000 align:start numbers that Barack Obama did. She was about 4,000 short, and so that allowed President 36:05.000 --> 36:09.730 align:start Trump to run up the numbers in some of those more rural areas of the state. 36:09.730 --> 36:15.330 align:start So a lot is at stake here, but that's why you have Joe Biden, his top surrogates focused 36:15.330 --> 36:19.740 align:start on Pennsylvania. President Trump, as well, he's going to be there the day before 36:19.740 --> 36:25.000 align:start election day. So the significance of the Keystone State cannot be overstated, Bob. 36:25.000 --> 36:29.320 align:start COSTA: Kristen, I grew up in Bucks County outside of Philadelphia. You're from Philadelphia. 36:29.320 --> 36:34.230 align:start And that city, it's a great city, City of Brotherly Love; it's been roiled by protests 36:34.230 --> 36:40.700 align:start and anguish following the police shooting of 27-year-old Black man Walter Wallace Jr. 36:40.700 --> 36:45.990 align:start It's been a tragic event, and Kristen, you pressed the candidates to speak directly to 36:45.990 --> 36:50.540 align:start Black and brown Americans at the debate you moderated. As you track what's going on in 36:50.540 --> 36:57.420 align:start Philadelphia, our home city, what do you think this crisis means for the campaign? 36:57.420 --> 37:03.540 align:start WELKER: I think that that critical city that you mention - and you're absolutely right - 37:03.540 --> 37:09.710 align:start has been devastated by those protests, by those who have lost their lives, and so I think 37:09.710 --> 37:14.850 align:start that that is going to be one of the motivating factors undoubtedly on election day and in 37:14.850 --> 37:20.530 align:start the early voting process as well. It will undoubtedly energize African American voters 37:20.530 --> 37:26.020 align:start who, of course, are going to go to the polls not all voting for the same person, but 37:26.020 --> 37:31.340 align:start again they will be voting, some of them, on that issue of Black Lives Matters. 37:31.340 --> 37:36.230 align:start And those peaceful protests - the ones that have been peaceful - who will be energized to 37:36.230 --> 37:41.770 align:start come out who are calling for change. Now, Joe Biden has said that he understands the 37:41.770 --> 37:45.370 align:start message. He is someone who has said that he believes in the Black Lives Matter movement. 37:45.370 --> 37:50.420 align:start But very different messaging from President Trump on this topic, as you know. 37:50.420 --> 37:55.050 align:start In fact, he has put the focus on those who have tried to capitalize on the peaceful 37:55.050 --> 38:00.140 align:start protests and have turned those protests violent. And so President Trump has used that to 38:00.140 --> 38:05.490 align:start underscore what he calls his law and order messaging, to appeal to some of those suburban voters. 38:05.490 --> 38:09.480 align:start So the question is, will he be able to offset what will likely be a large turnout in 38:09.480 --> 38:14.270 align:start Philadelphia and the surrounding region, for all of the reasons that you're laying out? 38:14.270 --> 38:16.730 align:start That's the key question. 38:16.730 --> 38:20.260 align:start COSTA: And when you talk to your sources at the White House, what are you hearing about 38:20.260 --> 38:23.500 align:start the final days as the president goes to Pennsylvania? 38:23.500 --> 38:28.820 align:start Will it be about law and order only? Will other issues be discussed? 38:28.820 --> 38:34.750 align:start WELKER: Well, look, if it were up to his aides and advisors, President Trump would put 38:34.750 --> 38:41.960 align:start the focus on the economy, and he would have a very directed message, and try to argue 38:41.960 --> 38:47.140 align:start that he is the candidate to turn the economy around and to help with the comeback, 38:47.140 --> 38:52.190 align:start essentially. And of course, as we've noted before, he has spent a fair amount of 38:52.190 --> 38:56.520 align:start time talking about the strong GDP number that we got earlier this week. 38:56.520 --> 39:01.650 align:start But as you know, when he goes into these cities - particularly Philadelphia - and when he 39:01.650 --> 39:07.010 align:start goes into Pennsylvania he has stressed that law and order message. So, yes, I think we're 39:07.010 --> 39:10.900 align:start going to hear more of that. I also think you're going to hear more of the type of language 39:10.900 --> 39:15.030 align:start that we heard earlier this week, when he talked about you have to watch the governors. 39:15.030 --> 39:18.920 align:start You have to watch what they're doing, trying to essentially raise questions about the 39:18.920 --> 39:24.080 align:start very validity of the election process, despite the fact that there's just no evidence 39:24.080 --> 39:28.990 align:start suggesting that there's any fraud or that any of the votes have been miscounted. 39:28.990 --> 39:34.160 align:start And so you have Democratic leaders of the state, the governor there Tom Wolf, pushing 39:34.160 --> 39:39.520 align:start back against that narrative very strongly. And I do think that that type of messaging 39:39.520 --> 39:45.060 align:start runs counter to what a number of his advisors feel is his most effective message. Voters 39:45.060 --> 39:50.800 align:start think that he is strong on the economy, so they want him to stay on track and on that point. 39:50.800 --> 39:54.190 align:start COSTA: I was talking to some strategists today, Republican strategists, and they said: 39:54.190 --> 39:58.180 align:start The president wants to run against Governor Wolf, but it's hard to run against Governor 39:58.180 --> 40:02.450 align:start Wolf, they privately confided, because Governor Wolf is so low-key. 40:02.450 --> 40:06.180 align:start He's not like Governor Whitmer of Michigan, who's in the headlines. 40:06.180 --> 40:10.460 align:start Many Pennsylvanians aren't really familiar with Governor Wolf. 40:10.460 --> 40:16.700 align:start WELKER: It's a really great point. And in fact, after President Trump took direct aim 40:16.700 --> 40:21.690 align:start at the governor, he was pressed about that by NBC's Craig Melvin. 40:21.690 --> 40:26.590 align:start And was asked essentially: Do the president's comments amount to voter intimidation? 40:26.590 --> 40:30.910 align:start And Governor Wolf said, no. I just think he doesn't understand how the process works, 40:30.910 --> 40:34.320 align:start because the governor is not counting every vote that comes in. 40:34.320 --> 40:38.430 align:start It's rather something that happens at the state and county level. 40:38.430 --> 40:41.480 align:start COSTA: Well, Kristen, we'll leave it there. Really appreciate you being here. 40:41.480 --> 40:45.510 align:start And we can all catch you on Tuesday as part of NBC's special coverage on election night, 40:45.510 --> 40:50.910 align:start starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. But now let's go to our second leg of our trip. 40:50.910 --> 41:01.270 align:start Let's head east. Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. 41:01.270 --> 41:06.080 align:start While there is little love here for the president, the big question is: How much love for 41:06.080 --> 41:10.250 align:start Biden? To win PA, Democrats need strong turnout. 41:10.250 --> 41:13.150 align:start CROWD: (From video.) (Chanting.) Black Lives Matter! 41:13.150 --> 41:18.460 align:start COSTA: Just this week the city was once again a hotspot after the shooting death of a 41:18.460 --> 41:24.960 align:start Black man by police. Zoe Sturges protested for racial justice this summer. 41:24.960 --> 41:29.940 align:start Zoe, I saw this picture of you, your hands in the air. You and thousands of others 41:29.940 --> 41:35.540 align:start came out to protest in Philadelphia. But I do wonder, Zoe, will they come out to vote? 41:35.540 --> 41:39.770 align:start ZOE STURGES: (From video.) I hope so. And you know, I really hope that Biden sees 41:39.770 --> 41:42.900 align:start the amount of enthusiasm there is for police reform. 41:42.900 --> 41:47.690 align:start COSTA: Are you enthusiastic about Joe Biden and Senator Harris, or not? 41:47.690 --> 41:51.880 align:start ZOE STURGES: (From video.) I'm not super enthusiastic about them because Kamala Harris's 41:51.880 --> 41:58.240 align:start record as a DA, especially putting the parents of truant children in jail, is pretty upsetting to me. 41:58.240 --> 42:03.220 align:start COSTA: Senator Harris has since expressed regret over that policy. But she and Biden 42:03.220 --> 42:10.010 align:start still face the challenge Clinton had, getting that progressive voter to be enthusiastic. 42:10.010 --> 42:14.640 align:start JASON PETERS: (From video.) Voting for Joe Biden is like going to the bathroom in a port-a-potty. 42:14.640 --> 42:19.540 align:start It's not what you want to do, but if you're considering it it's probably your best option. 42:19.540 --> 42:22.600 align:start OLLIE MEIER: (From video.) I'm going to vote for Joe Biden because he's the Democratic 42:22.600 --> 42:25.850 align:start option. But I don't love him the most. 42:25.850 --> 42:28.120 align:start COSTA: Who were you more into in the primary? 42:28.120 --> 42:30.550 align:start OLLIE MEIER: (From video.) I was much more of a Bernie bro. 42:30.550 --> 42:32.800 align:start COSTA: What about Biden? 42:32.800 --> 42:36.910 align:start ADELE SCHNEIDER: I really like him because he will unite the country. 42:36.910 --> 42:41.590 align:start COSTA: Adele Schneider is originally from South Africa while Gordie Cohen is from 42:41.590 --> 42:44.570 align:start Canada. Both are U.S. citizens. 42:44.570 --> 42:48.690 align:start GORDIE COHEN: (From video.) I'm disturbed by the roughly 40 percent who respect the 42:48.690 --> 42:52.720 align:start words of what we see as a demagogue and his many untruths. 42:52.720 --> 42:57.230 align:start ADELE SCHNEIDER: (From video.) I'm feeling very much like it's becoming how South Africa was under 42:57.230 --> 43:04.100 align:start Apartheid. It's beginning to feel like we have a dictator whose party just goes along with him. 43:04.100 --> 43:11.320 align:start COSTA: And many other core Democrats like Biden. They see him as a continuation of the Obama coalition. 43:11.320 --> 43:15.350 align:start PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: (From video.) For eight years Joe was the last one in the room 43:15.350 --> 43:20.250 align:start when I faced a big decision. He made me a better president. 43:20.250 --> 43:24.920 align:start COSTA: Is Joe Biden's connection to President Obama going to help him in Philadelphia 43:24.920 --> 43:27.110 align:start and outside of Philly? 43:27.110 --> 43:30.670 align:start HAZEL MCGRIFF: (From video.) I believe so, because they've already seen him for eight years. 43:30.670 --> 43:40.020 align:start COSTA: Next stop, the Philly suburbs. This is where I grew up, and for decades it has 43:40.020 --> 43:45.420 align:start been a crucial national political battleground - mostly White with a moderate streak. 43:45.420 --> 43:50.910 align:start But the nation's raging debates - they are raging here, too, especially the president's 43:50.910 --> 43:53.440 align:start law and order message. 43:53.440 --> 43:57.530 align:start TINA HAMILTON: (From video.) We have these policemen that have dealing with a lot, and 43:57.530 --> 43:59.830 align:start they're being demoralized. 43:59.830 --> 44:04.480 align:start COSTA: Tina Hamilton organized a "Back the Blue" rally this summer in Upper Darby. 44:04.480 --> 44:10.030 align:start You've been out there protesting in favor of President Trump, supporting police 44:10.030 --> 44:13.410 align:start officers. Why is that so important to you? 44:13.410 --> 44:17.950 align:start TINA HAMILTON: (From video.) Law and order, safety - I don't want it to be like a 44:17.950 --> 44:20.160 align:start free-for-all and a lot of crime. 44:20.160 --> 44:22.520 align:start COSTA: Tina, did you support President Trump in 2016? 44:22.520 --> 44:25.000 align:start TINA HAMILTON: (From video.) Yes, I did. I think that's he's more for America 44:25.000 --> 44:27.710 align:start than anybody I can think of right now. 44:27.710 --> 44:31.810 align:start COSTA: There was unrest here in Upper Darby over the summer amid protests nationwide. 44:31.810 --> 44:38.390 align:start The town has a Democratic mayor, Barbarann Keffer. What's changing politically in your area? 44:38.390 --> 44:42.090 align:start UPPER DARBY, PA MAYOR BARBARANN KEFFER: (From video.) The demographics are changing. 44:42.090 --> 44:46.720 align:start Republicans are moving further west as part of the - kind of like White flight. 44:46.720 --> 44:52.690 align:start COSTA: Nearby, GOP activist Chris Mundiath says he supported other Republicans in 2016, 44:52.690 --> 44:55.490 align:start but ended up voting for Trump. 44:55.490 --> 44:58.780 align:start CHRIS MUNDIATH: (From video.) As soon as he became the nominee, you know, I was convinced 44:58.780 --> 45:02.520 align:start that he would be the right person to lead the country. Donald Trump is my president. 45:02.520 --> 45:05.930 align:start COSTA: This year Chris was featured in an ad supporting the president. 45:05.930 --> 45:08.770 align:start CHRIS MUNDIATH: (From video.) The Democrats are trying to overturn the election. 45:08.770 --> 45:11.550 align:start COSTA: But in recent weeks, he turned. 45:11.550 --> 45:14.180 align:start CHRIS MUNDIATH: (From video.) I changed my mind because of Donald Trump's debate 45:14.180 --> 45:17.320 align:start performance, and Judge Coney's "super-spreader" event, and the fact that he got 45:17.320 --> 45:20.710 align:start coronavirus. That was very irresponsible. He didn't care about masks. 45:20.710 --> 45:23.730 align:start And I will not be voting for him this year in this election. 45:23.730 --> 45:27.590 align:start COSTA: But there were undecided Republicans in the 'burbs in late October. 45:27.590 --> 45:32.000 align:start Mary Landers is a Republican who voted for Clinton four years ago. 45:32.000 --> 45:35.560 align:start MARY LANDERS: (From video.) I would say at that point - last time I wasn't such a huge 45:35.560 --> 45:41.010 align:start fan of hers, but I felt that kind of what would happen with Trump did happen with Trump; 45:41.010 --> 45:44.600 align:start that he kind of would make everybody anxious. 45:44.600 --> 45:47.110 align:start COSTA: But she's not sure about Biden. 45:47.110 --> 45:51.620 align:start MARY LANDERS: (From video.) I'm concerned about a lot of things that are happening in 45:51.620 --> 45:56.410 align:start various cities around the country: protests, the upheaval, and I'm nervous about that happening. 45:56.410 --> 45:59.660 align:start FRANK GUGLIELMELLI: (From video.) I'm a rare gay Republican, and I've lost a lot of gay 45:59.660 --> 46:03.010 align:start friends who don't talk to me anymore, but that's their loss, not mine. 46:03.010 --> 46:06.990 align:start COSTA: Former school teacher Frank Guglielmelli is a Trump supporter, fed up with the 46:06.990 --> 46:10.610 align:start pandemic. Why do closings frustrate you so much? 46:10.610 --> 46:13.460 align:start FRANK GUGLIELMELLI: (From video.) Because people are losing their jobs! 46:13.460 --> 46:17.030 align:start People are losing their houses! Doesn't that bother you? 46:17.030 --> 46:18.960 align:start COSTA: Do you think that pushes voters - 46:18.960 --> 46:21.000 align:start FRANK GUGLIELMELLI: (From video.) Doesn't that bother you? 46:21.000 --> 46:23.560 align:start COSTA: It's an economic crisis, no doubt about it. 46:23.560 --> 46:25.840 align:start FRANK GUGLIELMELLI: (From video.) Does that not bother you, sir? 46:25.840 --> 46:28.750 align:start COSTA: As a reporter it bothers me to see anybody in pain. 46:28.750 --> 46:30.770 align:start FRANK GUGLIELMELLI: (From video.) There you go. 46:30.770 --> 46:34.580 align:start COSTA: Do you believe all of these closings will push people toward Trump? 46:34.580 --> 46:37.700 align:start FRANK GUGLIELMELLI: (From video.) I believe the people who own these businesses and 46:37.700 --> 46:40.990 align:start their families will be pushed towards Donald Trump, yes, I do. 46:40.990 --> 46:43.950 align:start STAN CASACIO: (From video.) Hey, out there in Montgomery County, Bucks County, Chester 46:43.950 --> 46:46.810 align:start County, Philadelphia, this is Stan Casacio. 46:46.810 --> 46:51.250 align:start COSTA: Stan is a radio host and Trump backer. What's your read on the race? Where does it stand? 46:51.250 --> 46:56.260 align:start STAN CASACIO: (From video.) My feeling is - is similar to what happened in 2016; that 46:56.260 --> 47:01.020 align:start there is this enthusiasm that is not being picked up by anyone. 47:01.020 --> 47:06.540 align:start COSTA: David DiGregorio is a retired postal worker and anything but a silent Trumper. 47:06.540 --> 47:09.260 align:start What about the Supreme Court vacancy? 47:09.260 --> 47:11.720 align:start DAVID DIGREGORIO: (From video.) Yes! 47:11.720 --> 47:14.490 align:start COSTA: Why did you put your hands in the air like that? 47:14.490 --> 47:18.060 align:start DAVID DIGREGORIO: (From video.) I'm ecstatic! It took us like how many decades - we've 47:18.060 --> 47:23.320 align:start got a majority on the Supreme Court, and now Democrats are, oh, can't be, we've got to stack it. 47:23.320 --> 47:28.110 align:start Look at the people he's put there: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett - these are like solid 47:28.110 --> 47:32.790 align:start people! You've got to get limited government. You've got to get the rule of law! 47:32.790 --> 47:38.160 align:start COSTA: My final chat in the suburbs was with 23-year-old Hafiz Tunis, a Democratic 47:38.160 --> 47:42.380 align:start councilman who is excited and inspired to vote this year. 47:42.380 --> 47:48.300 align:start What about Senator Kamala Harris? What has her entry into this race meant to you? 47:48.300 --> 47:53.210 align:start HAFIZ TUNIS: (From video.) I personally really was in favor of a woman candidate for 47:53.210 --> 47:59.230 align:start president. As a Black American, it's also very inspirational to see a strong Black woman. 47:59.230 --> 48:09.150 align:start COSTA: Next stop, Luzerne County, up in the northeast. It voted for Obama twice, and 48:09.150 --> 48:15.260 align:start then Trump in 2016. My sources in both campaigns tell me it's the battleground within 48:15.260 --> 48:19.750 align:start the battleground, and it's not far from Biden's hometown of Scranton. 48:19.750 --> 48:25.090 align:start We went to Exeter, where tributes to the military are everywhere, including banners 48:25.090 --> 48:30.680 align:start showing residents who served. At the VFW Hall, the president is popular. 48:30.680 --> 48:34.030 align:start KEVIN SHANNON: (From video.) I think he's doing a lot of good for the country. 48:34.030 --> 48:40.200 align:start Anything that you could really ask for he's been doing, you know. He needs to stay 48:40.200 --> 48:44.400 align:start off Twitter a little bit and stop being cocky, but he's the man for the job. 48:44.400 --> 48:47.790 align:start COSTA: Down the street we found signs for both candidates. 48:47.790 --> 48:52.790 align:start Joanne Kogoy has Biden signs in front of her house; across the street is a banner showing 48:52.790 --> 48:58.080 align:start her in the Air Force. She doesn't understand her neighbors who back Trump. 48:58.080 --> 49:01.710 align:start JOANNE KOGOY: (From video.) When the Republicans want to cut Medicare and Social 49:01.710 --> 49:06.660 align:start Security, it's like punching yourself in the face. I don't understand; I really don't. 49:06.660 --> 49:12.630 align:start I think a lot of people in this area, maybe Luzerne County, I'm just guessing a lot of 49:12.630 --> 49:15.930 align:start the immigrants, I think, might have bothered them. 49:15.930 --> 49:19.610 align:start Trump started to preach his hate, and it just fed into them. 49:19.610 --> 49:23.270 align:start COSTA: And at the end of every day, she follows a ritual. 49:23.270 --> 49:27.090 align:start JOANNE KOGOY: (From video.) I take my signs in every night. I don't leave them out. 49:27.090 --> 49:47.640 align:start COSTA: I'm Robert Costa. Good night from Washington.