MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning and welcome to Face The Nation. We start this morning with response to the primary presidential debate of 2024. Our polling unit requested voters how they view the candidates now, together with their cognitive well being. The outcomes usually are not encouraging for the president. The variety of voters who say President Biden has the cognitive capability to serve has dropped from 35% earlier this month to 27% after the controversy. That’s the bottom quantity since CBS started asking voters that query final September. Nearly three quarters of all registered voters now say he should not be operating. And practically half of Democrats say he should not stay the nominee. An extraordinary quantity for an incumbent who did not face a aggressive main. We also needs to observe that half of all voters additionally say former President Trump doesn’t have the cognitive well being to serve. Voters give former President Trump a major edge, although, when requested which candidate defined his concepts clearly, impressed confidence, and appeared presidential. Joining us now to debate all of that is Maryland Governor Wes Moore. He’s in Milwaukee the place he has been campaigning for President Biden’s reelection this weekend. Welcome again, Governor.
GOV. WES MOORE: Thank you a lot, nice to be with you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor, you realize, it wasn’t an excellent evening for the president. And- and I’ll save us time as a result of I do know you are going to inform us, have a look at presidential efficiency, not debate efficiency, everybody has a nasty evening, Barack Obama as soon as had a nasty evening. But you realize, at 81 years previous, this can be a totally different set of things for President Biden. Why was he struggling Thursday?
GOV. MOORE: Well, I- I believe each candidates struggled. I do not suppose both candidate had a- had an excellent evening on the- on the controversy evening. But I additionally do know that it does matter after we’re taking a look at presidential efficiency, and never essentially debate efficiency. You know, I- I believe that when you have got a state of affairs the place it’s important to articulate your imaginative and prescient for the way forward for the nation, the place we did have the president, who has been displaying his imaginative and prescient for this nation for the previous three years, that does matter to people, it issues to all of us because the chief executives of our states. And honestly, on the opposite facet, I do not suppose it needs to be misplaced on anyone that, you realize, listening to Donald Trump speaking about issues like politicians who wish to kill infants after they’re born, or black jobs, or saying that all the pieces was nice on January 6. That is really- that’s remarkably problematic for folks to have the ability to hear. So, you realize, so it wasn’t an awesome evening for the president or for Donald Trump. But I additionally do know that efficiency does matter.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But respectfully, Governor, the President would not do many interviews. He would not do issues the place we he- now we have to see him be fast on his ft. He’s not right here, you might be.
GOV. MOORE: Well, I–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –He’s not on the marketing campaign path as often–
GOV. MOORE: –Yes–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –As surrogates like you might be. Isn’t that demonstrating that there are options, Democratic options, who’re youthful and in a position to exit and be fast on their ft and on the path?
GOV. MOORE: I- I- I- I do know I obtained an opportunity to see the president when occasions have been tough and see him in trials. Just three months in the past, when- when in the course of the evening, we came upon {that a} vessel that was the dimensions of the Eiffel Tower had simply shut down the Port of Baltimore, which is chargeable for 13% of our economic system. The first cellphone name that I obtained from the White House was at 3:30 that morning, and when I- with a president who was saying that he was like, gov, we’re gonna be with you each step of the best way. And he has been. I’ve seen the President challenged, I’ve seen him in occasions of trial. I’ve seen- I’ve seen him in tiles- in occasions of turbulence. And I’ve seen him been in a position to be a outstanding companion to us. And that is what I bear in mind. And that is why I proceed to imagine that- that the Biden administration deserves one other 4 years and I’m enthusiastic about what that may ship for the American folks.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why was the president struggling?
GOV. MOORE: I believe the President had a tricky evening.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why?
GOV. MOORE: All of us have tough nights. Well, I believe that the President had a had a tough evening, similar to each single one in all us do. But I believe that we all know that after we get knocked down, we get again up. And that is the essential factor that I believe that we confirmed with the president the place the day after having a- having not his biggest evening, not having an awesome debate that he was proper again in North Carolina campaigning–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Yeah.
GOV. MOORE: And going and talking to the folks that- that simply the day however the subsequent morning after he was up working with Congress to make sure that we will get a 100% value share on rebuilding the Key Bridge. He obtained again up and he obtained again to work.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But–
GOV. MOORE: –And that is the factor I believe folks want to recollect all of us get knocked down.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor, I do know that Democrats imagine that abortion is a successful situation on this election. Here’s what the American folks heard from the President when he was requested about abortion.
[BEGIN SOT]
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Look, there’s so many younger girls who’ve been, together with a younger girl who simply was murdered, and he went to the funeral. The concept that she was murdered by an immigrant coming in. They discuss that. But here is the deal. There’s a numerous younger girls being raped by their, by their in-laws, by their spouses, brothers and sisters. But- it is simply ridiculous and so they can do nothing about it.
[END SOT]
MARGARET BRENNAN: Abortion is a vital situation for Democrats. This ought to have been a layup. He was struggling to make the purpose. How do you clarify that?
GOV. MOORE: Margaret, that- that- that wasn’t an awesome second for the president. And nobody can argue that it could actually. He was additionally standing ft away from somebody who was speaking about politicians who take infants away after they’re born and killing them. He was additionally talking- he was additionally standing ft away from anyone who was debating whether or not or not the restrict on- on reproductive well being needs to be six weeks or 9 weeks or 12 weeks or saying that any politician ought to have a say about what occurs with a girl and her physique when that dialog ought to completely be between her and her doctor–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Right. Donald- Donald Trump was saying–
GOV. MOORE: –And so it wasn’t an awesome second for the president and we will not defend that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah–
GOV. MOORE: –No. Well- properly I- I- I believe in- in- and Donald Trump can be claiming accountability for the turndown of Roe v. Wade. So- so I imply, it wasn’t an awesome second for the president. But let’s be clear: his place on ensuring the reproductive well being and reproductive rights needs to be ironclad, his place that we must always have Roe v. Wade, because the regulation of the land may be very, very clear–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Yeah.
GOV. MOORE: With Donald Trump, I wish to be additionally clear that that’s not his place.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I- I perceive you need the dialog to be concerning the coverage and the false statements made by his opponent. But the Atlanta Journal Constitution in Georgia, a key state for the president, got here out in an editorial saying “This wasn’t a nasty evening; it was affirmation of the worst fears of a few of Biden’s most ardent supporters — that after 36 years within the U.S. Senate, eight extra as vp and a time period within the White House, age has lastly caught as much as him.” It referred to excuses like what you are making as insulting to the American folks. How do you reply to that?
GOV. MOORE: I believe that what we’re watching- while you’re watching a presidential efficiency, while you’re watching a president who was in a position to lead us to now the place now we have report low unemployment, after we’re in a position to watch how the the black- black wealth inside this nation, for the reason that pandemic has risen by 60%, while you’re in a position to watch a presidential efficiency that is been in a position to do issues like increase wages for our staff, and ensuring that our rights are protected, that- that does matter on this dialog. And so I perceive people who find themselves, you realize, and I understand–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Yes–
GOV. MOORE: –And I get it, the arguments about age and the problems of 81. But the quantity 81 is a vital quantity, however so is watching traditionally low unemployment charges. And I don’t suppose that folks ought to lose sight of that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure, however we’re not simply speaking about three-and-a-half years prior to now, we’re speaking about 4 extra years, bringing him to age 86. Here is what the President responded when he was requested concerning the nationwide debt, and the way he would tax billionaires.
[BEGIN SOT]
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: We’d be capable to proper– wipe out his debt. We’d be capable to assist make it possible for– all these issues we have to do, childcare, elder care, ensuring that we proceed to strengthen our healthcare system, ensuring that we’re in a position to make each single solitary particular person eligible for what I’ve been in a position to do with the COVID– excuse me, with coping with all the pieces now we have to do with. Look, if– we lastly beat Medicare.
[END SOT]
MARGARET BRENNAN: The president misplaced his personal level.
GOV. MOORE: The- we additionally must keep in mind that this election is a binary selection. It’s an election between President Joe Biden, and admittedly, even the dialog across the nationwide debt, you realize, somebody whose tax cuts at a time when over the following decade, we’re going to have the most important switch of wealth within the historical past of the world–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –You want younger voters to show out–
GOV. MOORE: –And- and a president, a former president–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Democrats want younger voters to show out–
GOV. MOORE: –That’s proper.
MARGARET BRENNAN: How are they presupposed to see themselves–
GOV. MOORE: –That’s right–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Reflected in that?
GOV. MOORE: I believe they’re additionally going to see themselves mirrored in all of the people who find themselves going out and being the president’s surrogates. I believe you’d must exit and earn it. You know, I’m- I’m- I’m the youngest Democratic governor on this nation. The solely African American governor in America. And we’re out right here on a regular basis, and we’re out right here together with different surrogates. We’re out right here together with the president who’s out right here campaigning and the vp. We’re going to the folks and we’re making our case to the folks as to why this type of partnership issues. Progress doesn’t occur by chance. The work that we’re seeing- I have a look at the state of Maryland, we now went from being forty third in unemployment once I was first inaugurated to now having amongst the bottom unemployment charges in your entire nation for 12 straight months.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So would you pursue–
GOV. MOORE: –We went from having among the highest murder rates–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –The Democratic nomination if Joe Biden have been to- to take himself out of this race?
GOV. MOORE: I- I cannot. And Joe Biden is just not going to take himself out of this race, nor ought to he. He has been a outstanding partner–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –But he informed himself in 2020–
GOV. MOORE: –To me as a governor, to so many different elected officials–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –A bridge to the longer term. A bridge, not anything.
GOV. MOORE: And I nonetheless suppose he believes that. He goes to be a bridge to a future as a result of he is serving to to construct a bridge to the longer term. If you concentrate on the work that he is been in a position to do with the infrastructure capital, bipartisan infrastructure capital that we’re now deploying all around the nation, Joe Biden shall be an essential bridge to the longer term. But I believe that while you have a look at the report that he has, and the momentum that we have been in a position to instill in our personal particular person states, that might not occur with out the partnership that now we have with the Biden-Harris administration. And that is why I shall be out right here at present and tomorrow out campaigning for the President to get 4 extra years.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The presidency is grueling on anybody, at any age. That is only a truth. You see presidents age earlier than your eyes, however presidents cannot choose and select the moments when they’re on. It’s a- it is a factor–
GOV. MOORE: –And I believe that–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Would you not acknowledge it’s a think about his efficiency?
GOV. MOORE: It’s 100% an element. It’s a perfe- it is a think about all of our performances, Margaret. It’s an element that we do not get to decide on the tragedies that now we have to cope with. We do not get to decide on the disasters that now we have to right away stand in entrance of the cameras, and instantly start to steer, how we construct that coalition, how we’re mobilizing all of our assets and all of our property to have the ability to cope with that. I’ve seen that. And one factor that I do know, you realize, once more, I’m new to politics, however I’ve been an Army fight veteran. One factor I’ve realized is that I by no means realized something about anyone in occasions of peace. If you ever wish to know something about anyone, watch them when the warmth will get turned up. Watch them in occasions of disaster. Watch how they lead. Watch how they companion. And I’ve had an opportunity to see that firsthand with this President. I’ve had an opportunity to see him lead. I’ve had an opportunity to see him companion. I had an opportunity to see how after we have been in a position to mobilize a 24/7 response to get the Port of Baltimore reopened, not in 11 months, however in 11 weeks. Bring closure to the households who misplaced people. I noticed when he mentioned that he was gonna be with us each step of the best way, that he’s a person of his phrase. And I respect that. And I love that. And I’ll at all times stand by that. That is why I defend this President. That is why I would like one other 4 years. Because I have a look at the momentum we have had within the state of Maryland in simply 18 months. Imagine should you can provide me one other 4 years. And that’s the reason I’ll stand with and defend the President as a result of outcomes do matter in these conversations.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They do, however the Democrats’ message is that democracy itself is on the road. Are you assured that the one particular person, the one Democrat in America that might meet- beat Donald Trump is Joe Biden?
GOV. MOORE: Joe Biden is our nominee. Joe Biden is our chief. And Joe Biden has earned and Joe Biden deserves the arrogance, the respect, and admittedly, the partnership that we now have to supply to him. And so I shall be in Chicago. I’ll proudly be supporting the president in Chicago. I’ll work by way of November to verify he will get reelected. So sure, I do suppose that President Biden has earned the respect of Democrats and Joe Biden goes to be our chief going ahead.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Governor Moore, thanks for becoming a member of us.
GOV. MOORE: Thank you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll be proper again.
