“The first thing we have got to do, whether or not I’m president, is to shut this president up right now — because he is undermining the doctors and the scientists who are trying to help the American people. This is an unprecedented moment in American history. Now, I obviously believe in Medicare for all. I will fight for that as president. This coronavirus pandemic exposes the incredible weakness and dysfunctionality of our current health care system.” “I would bring together the leading experts in the world. Instead of doing this piecemeal, sit down and do what we did before, with the Ebola crisis. And with all due respect to Medicare for all — you have a single-payer system in Italy. It doesn’t work there. It has nothing to do with Medicare for all. That would not solve the problem at all.” “What are you doing to protect yourself?” “Last night we had a fireside chat, not a rally. We’re not doing that right now. I’m not shaking hands. Joe and I did not shake hands. And I am very careful about the people I am interacting with.” “Thank God, for the time being — anything can happen, as my mother would say, knock on wood — that I’m in good health. I’m taking all the precautions anyone would take, whether they’re 30 years old or 60 years old or 80 years old.” “Let me ask you a question, Joe.” “Yeah.” “You’re right here with me.” “Yeah.” “Have you been on the floor of the Senate — you were in the Senate for a few years —” “Yep.” “— time and time again, talking about the necessity, with pride, about cutting Social Security, cutting Medicare, cutting veterans programs?” “No.” “You never said that?” “No.” “All right, America, go to the website right now. Go to the YouTube right now.” “I did not support any of those cuts — in Social Security or in veterans benefits —” “Whoa, whoa, whoa — everything was on the table. All right. You’re right. You just said it. Including in your judgment, cuts to Social Security and veterans —” “In order to get the kinds of changes we need on other things related —” “Joe, when you just —” “But I didn’t. But we did not cut it. I did not vote for it.” “I know — because people like me helped stop that. But Joe, you just contradict — Joe, you just contradicted yourself.” “If I’m elected president, my Cabinet, my administration will look like the country. And I commit that I will in fact appoint a, pick a woman to be vice president.” “The vice president committed to picking a woman as his running mate. If you get the nomination, will you?” “In all likelihood, I will.” “I would end this notion — for the first time in history, that people seeking asylum have to be in squalor on the other side of the river. They should be able to come to the United States and have a judgment made as to whether or not they qualify.” “I speak as the son of an immigrant. I will end on Day 1 the demonization, the ugly demonization from the White House of the immigrant community in this country. This is a time to move aggressively dealing with the coronavirus crisis, to deal with the economic fallout. But it is also a time to rethink America.” “This is bigger than any individual. This is about America. This is about the world. This is about how we bring people together.”