English subtitles for clip: File:6-9-16- White House Press Briefing.webm

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Mr. Earnest: Good
afternoon, everybody.

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I appreciate your patience
on the schedule today.

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Obviously both Senator
Sanders and Secretary

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Clinton had announcements
they wanted to make today,

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and so I was doing my best
to get out of their way and

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give them the
opportunity to go first.

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And now I am here to answer
any questions you may have

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about their announcements or
any other topics that may be

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on your mind today.

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So, Kevin, do you
want to start?

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The Press: Sure, Josh.

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Thank you.

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So I guess let's just
start with the obvious.

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Could you give us a little
bit of the readout of what

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the President and Senator
Sanders talked about during

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that hour-long meeting?

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Did they make any
requests of each other?

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Mr. Earnest: Well,
obviously, the President was

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pleased to have an
opportunity to welcome

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Senator Sanders to the White
House and congratulate him

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on the remarkable success
that he enjoyed in the

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context of his Democratic
-- his campaign for the

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Democratic nomination
for President.

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Senator Sanders competed
in every state across the

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country and earned more than
10 million votes

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for his campaign.

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That's a remarkable
accomplishment, and the

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President complimented him
and congratulated him on

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his success.

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I think you could describe
the conversation as a

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friendly conversation that
was focused on the future.

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Part of that future
conversation was about the

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importance of the upcoming
general election.

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You've heard the President
say on a number of occasions

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how important it is to
him personally that he be

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succeeded in office by a
President who is committed

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to building on the
remarkable progress that our

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country has made over the
last seven and a half years.

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So that certainly was an
important part of

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the conversation.

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But it went beyond that.

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There also was a
conversation about the

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long-term future of
the Democratic Party.

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And Senator Sanders's
campaign enjoyed so much

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success because he was able
to inspire a lot of young

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people -- both Democrats and
independents -- to support

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his campaign and to be
engaged in the

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political process.

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That's a good thing.

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And President Obama and
Senator Sanders had an

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opportunity to talk about
what work they could

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potentially do together in
the future to ensure that

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the Democratic Party of the
21st century is diverse and

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vibrant and inclusive.

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That's been a long-stated
goal of President Obama.

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And obviously President
Obama had his own success in

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building a coalition that
involved a lot of young

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Americans -- and
not all Democrats.

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Senator Sanders built on
that progress, and they're

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hopeful that they'll be able
to work together in the

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future, not just at the
national level but also at

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the state and local
levels, as well.

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The Press: Did they make
any requests of each other?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, I'm going
to do my best to protect

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their ability to have a
private conversation.

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But I think what is clear
is that there's a lot of

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agreement about
the way forward.

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Obviously, there is a lot of
agreement when it comes to

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the future of the Democratic
Party that I just described.

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There's also a lot of
agreement about the highest

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priorities that the next
President will have to

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grapple with.

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And so these priorities
range from issues like

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addressing economic
inequality and countering

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the influence of special
interests in our politics,

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these are obviously issues
that Senator Sanders

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discussed quite extensively
on the campaign trail.

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But these are also issues
that President Obama has had

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an opportunity to address.

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And as you heard from
Senator Sanders in the

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driveway a couple of hours
ago, there also was a

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discussion about other
issues like expanding

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economic opportunity for the
middle class; making sure

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that we keep our commitment
to our veterans; making sure

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that we give college
graduates in this country

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the opportunity to succeed
and not just be weighted

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down with
extraordinary debt.

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So again, these are all
issues that President Obama

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has spent the last seven
years fighting for.

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And Senator Sanders has
spent a significant amount

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of time talking about these
issues, too -- not just in

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the context of his
presidential campaign, but

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in the context of his
decades in public service.

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The Press: And I'm sure the
President gave the Senator

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the courtesy of letting
him know that he would be

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endorsing Secretary Clinton
in the coming moments or hours.

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Could you just provide
a little bit of how the

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President broke that to him
-- I'm sure it was probably

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expected -- and what
was the response?

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And is the President
disappointed that Senator

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Sanders did not go outside
of the White House, and in

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talking to reporters
did not endorse Clinton?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, let me
start by saying that, no.

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Senator Sanders I think has
been quite clear that he

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intended to compete for
votes in the upcoming

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District of Columbia primary
that's scheduled for Tuesday.

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So I don't think anybody had
the expectation that Senator

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Sanders was going to
deviate from that plan.

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At the same time, to go back
to your first question, the

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President has had the
opportunity to speak to

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Senator Sanders now three
times in the last week.

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And as a result of those
conversations I think it's

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fair to say that Senator
Sanders was not at all

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surprised by today's
announcement.

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Roberta.

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The Press: Did the President
show Senator Sanders the video?

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(laughter)

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Mr. Earnest: Again, I'm
not going to get into the

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details of their
interactions, but I assure

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you that Senator Sanders
was not surprised.

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And, look, Senator Sanders
began his statement in the

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driveway in front of the
White House today by saying

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that President Obama and
Vice President Biden had

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made a commitment to him
early in the process that

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they would not put their
thumb on the scale.

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And Senator Sanders himself
said how much he appreciated

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that President Obama and
Vice President Biden kept

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that promise.

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The Press: When was
the video recorded?

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And why was it decided that
the endorsement would be

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done through video rather
than having an event or some

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kind of other alternative?

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Mr. Earnest: The video
was recorded on Tuesday.

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And I think Secretary
Clinton's campaign has

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already announced that there
will be an event, and the

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President is very much
looking forward to traveling

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to Green Bay, Wisconsin,
Titletown, with Secretary

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Clinton to appear with her
in person at a campaign

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event and build support for
her campaign in the state of

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Wisconsin, a state that
President Obama won twice.

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The Press: And does he have
other plans next week to do

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campaign-related events
for Secretary Clinton?

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Mr. Earnest: That's the only
campaign event that's on the

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schedule at this point, but
I would anticipate that it's

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only the first of many
campaign events between now

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and November.

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Michelle.

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The Press: You mentioned in
the meeting things that the

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President would like to see,
working together on

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those issues.

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Did Sanders also have things
that he wanted to see from

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the White House?

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Or did he have any
particular asks?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, I'll let
Senator Sanders characterize

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the points that he
raised in their meeting.

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And I think he did that,
again, when he spoke to you

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a couple of hours ago.

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He was quite direct about
his appreciation to the

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President for keeping his
promise not to weigh in in

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the primary process and give
Democratic voters across the

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country the opportunity to
make a decision about who

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should represent our party
in the general election.

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And Senator Sanders, I think
-- again, when I spoke to

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the President briefly about
his conversation with

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Senator Sanders, I think
both men are pretty

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enthusiastic about the
opportunity that lies ahead,

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not just in advance of the
general election, but over

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the course of a generation
to ensure that the future of

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the Democratic looks as
diverse and vibrant and

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inclusive as our country is.

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The Press: Did the President
ask Sanders to step out of

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the race sooner
rather than later?

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And did he want him
to step out before the

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D.C. primaries?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, as I
mentioned yesterday when I

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spoke to a group of you,
Senator Sanders has more

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than earned the right to
make his own decision on his

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own timeframe about the
future of his campaign.

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And the President certainly
respects the important work

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that Senator Sanders has
done on the campaign trail.

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He certainly respects the
strong support that he's

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built in all 50 states.

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And that means that Senator
Sanders gets to decide what

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the future of his
campaign looks like.

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I'll just point out --
again, when Senator Sanders

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spoke to all of you after
meeting with the President,

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Senator Sanders reiterated
how critically important it

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is for President Obama to be
succeeded by a President who

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shares our values and is
committed to building on the

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progress that this country
has made under President

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Obama's leadership.

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That certainly was part of
the conversation in

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the Oval Office.

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And Senator Sanders, when he
spoke to all of you, made

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clear that that
was a priority.

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The Press: I mean, what was
the point and the outcome of

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this meeting?

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What was decided
between the two of them?

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Mr. Earnest: Look, I think
the point was for President

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Obama and Senator Sanders to
continue the conversation

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that they've been having
over the course of this week.

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And, look, in some ways,
this is a conversation that

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dates all the way back to
January when -- or February,

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whenever it was that Senator
Sanders was here at the

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White House much
earlier in the campaign.

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So again, I don't think
there was any expectation

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either on the part of
Senator Sanders or President

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Obama that Senator Sanders
was going to make some

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abrupt change to his
campaign strategy, which at

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this point has included
competing in the

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D.C. primary that's
scheduled for Tuesday.

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The Press: So why
release it on Twitter?

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And why have it come from
Clinton instead of

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the President?

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Mr. Earnest: I think
obviously it makes --

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there's some intuitive
decisions about why it's

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important to give Secretary
Clinton the opportunity to

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make this news.

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Obviously, I saw some of
the early comments from her

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campaign that she was
deeply appreciative of the

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President's endorsement.

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And the President was
pleased to have the

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opportunity to share it.

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But it certainly is the
decision for Secretary

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Clinton and her team to make
about how best to use this

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material to advance
her campaign.

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The Press: And speaking of
Twitter, you see a lot of

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Sanders supporters now
putting out their continued

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support for Sanders, many
of them saying, well, it's

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Bernie or nobody --
it won't be Clinton.

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What do you think is going
to be the President's best

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approach, now that he is
going to be out on the trail

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in a matter of days, to
winning over those people?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
first of all, it's going to

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be Secretary Clinton's
responsibility to win over

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those people.

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And I'm confident that she
will have a very forceful

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case to make about the
values that she represents.

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And so I think she'll have
a strong case to make, but

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that's ultimately a case
that she will make.

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But President Obama
certainly has a lot of

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credibility with those
voters, I think that is true.

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President Obama, over the
course of the last seven

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years, has fought very hard
for many of the principles

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and priorities that Senator
Sanders has been talking

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about over the course
of this campaign.

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Senator Sanders has devoted
an extraordinary amount of

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time to making sure that
Wall Street doesn't run

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amuck and trample on
middle-class families.

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And I can recite you -- I'll
probably spare you at least

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00:11:24,383 --> 00:11:26,383
right now -- a long
recitation of all of the

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things that President Obama
has done by implementing

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Wall Street reform to make
sure that taxpayers are not

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on the hook for bailing out
big banks that make risky

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bets, and also making sure
that we're focused on

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expanding economic
opportunity for

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the middle class.

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That is entirely consistent
with a message that was

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spread by Senator Sanders in
his campaign that clearly

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deeply resonated with voters
-- young and old, Democrat

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00:11:49,175 --> 00:11:51,145
and independent -- all
across the country.

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So President Obama has a lot
of credibility with

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those voters.

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And look, here's the last
thing: Senator Sanders

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obviously has a lot of
credibility with those voters.

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And you heard Senator
Sanders say to all of you

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00:12:00,786 --> 00:12:03,156
just a couple of hours ago
how critically important it

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is that President Obama be
succeeded by somebody who

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shares our values and
is dedicated to those

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00:12:11,797 --> 00:12:12,797
progressive priorities.

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So there are any number of
people -- Secretary Clinton,

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00:12:18,304 --> 00:12:20,404
Senator Sanders, and
President Obama -- who can

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00:12:20,406 --> 00:12:26,646
make a very forceful case to
those who were enthusiastic

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00:12:26,645 --> 00:12:30,115
supports of Senator
Sanders in the primary.

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Jon.

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The Press: Josh, you
mentioned that the President

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00:12:33,486 --> 00:12:35,956
we obviously know will be
out next week with Secretary

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00:12:35,955 --> 00:12:39,795
Clinton, and intends to
be out many other times.

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How eager is he to get out
there on the campaign

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00:12:42,628 --> 00:12:43,758
trail again?

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00:12:43,762 --> 00:12:46,662
I mean, is this like one
more campaign for him?

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00:12:46,665 --> 00:12:48,735
Mr. Earnest: The President
is very enthusiastic about

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00:12:48,734 --> 00:12:51,104
the opportunity that he will
have over the course of the

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00:12:51,103 --> 00:12:53,673
next several months to make
a strong case in support of

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00:12:53,672 --> 00:12:54,672
Secretary Clinton.

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I think that is evident from
the comments that President

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00:12:58,177 --> 00:13:01,817
Obama made in Elkhart,
Indiana last week.

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00:13:01,814 --> 00:13:04,454
The stakes in this election
are high, particularly if

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00:13:04,450 --> 00:13:07,290
you take a look at the U.S. economy.

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00:13:07,286 --> 00:13:09,286
We've made enormous progress
over the last seven years,

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00:13:09,288 --> 00:13:11,528
digging out of the ditch
created by the worst

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00:13:11,524 --> 00:13:14,424
economic downturn since
the Great Depression.

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00:13:14,426 --> 00:13:17,066
The private sector is what
led that recovery, but the

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private sector would not
have succeeded without the

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00:13:19,431 --> 00:13:21,631
important policy decisions
that were made in the first

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00:13:21,634 --> 00:13:23,634
couple of months of
President Obama's presidency.

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So for those voters who are
focused on the economy,

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00:13:25,638 --> 00:13:29,838
we've got a pretty strong
case to make about the

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00:13:29,842 --> 00:13:33,012
wisdom of the decisions made
by President Obama and the

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00:13:33,012 --> 00:13:37,982
commitment by Secretary
Clinton to those principles.

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00:13:37,983 --> 00:13:41,453
But I also think it was
pretty evident from that

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00:13:41,453 --> 00:13:45,053
video and from his
appearance on "The Tonight

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00:13:45,057 --> 00:13:51,267
Show" with Jimmy Fallon that
will air tonight at 11:30 --

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00:13:51,263 --> 00:13:54,903
that's a free plug there,
Peter, for your network --

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00:13:54,900 --> 00:13:57,640
but I think anybody who has
an opportunity to watch that

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00:13:57,636 --> 00:14:00,276
interview will see that
the President is quite

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00:14:00,272 --> 00:14:03,472
enthusiastic about this
election and about the

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00:14:03,475 --> 00:14:05,815
prospect of being succeeded
in office by Secretary Clinton.

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00:14:05,811 --> 00:14:08,411
The Press: I noticed in
that video he seems to give

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00:14:08,414 --> 00:14:10,784
Secretary Clinton some
credit for the

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00:14:10,783 --> 00:14:12,083
bin Laden decision.

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00:14:12,084 --> 00:14:14,524
It's mentioned in the video.

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00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:17,090
But that was really his
decision alone, he said

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00:14:17,089 --> 00:14:17,859
in the past.

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00:14:17,856 --> 00:14:20,626
What role did she have in
that critical decision?

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00:14:20,626 --> 00:14:24,026
Mr. Earnest: I think the
point of that video, where

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00:14:24,029 --> 00:14:26,029
the President talks about
her courage and her

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00:14:26,031 --> 00:14:29,471
compassion and her heart,
and how her service to the

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00:14:29,468 --> 00:14:32,638
country are critically
important to -- were

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00:14:32,638 --> 00:14:35,338
critically important to his
decision to endorse her in

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00:14:35,341 --> 00:14:36,641
this campaign.

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00:14:36,642 --> 00:14:38,712
And I think the point that
he's making in the video is

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00:14:38,711 --> 00:14:41,981
that he chose to have
Secretary Clinton by his

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00:14:41,981 --> 00:14:44,651
side for the first four
years of his presidency as

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00:14:44,650 --> 00:14:47,650
he was making difficult
decisions that had enormous

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00:14:47,653 --> 00:14:51,053
consequences for the United
States and our citizens.

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00:14:51,056 --> 00:14:52,696
The Press: Was she
part of that decision?

328
00:14:52,691 --> 00:14:53,961
Mr. Earnest: Well, she's
certainly in that picture

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00:14:53,959 --> 00:14:56,559
where that decision
is be executed.

330
00:14:56,562 --> 00:15:02,032
And she certainly was an
important architect of the

331
00:15:02,034 --> 00:15:04,304
kinds of foreign policy
decisions and strategic

332
00:15:04,303 --> 00:15:06,803
decisions that President
Obama had to make over the

333
00:15:06,805 --> 00:15:08,805
first four years
of his presidency.

334
00:15:08,807 --> 00:15:10,807
The Press: And I don't know
if you've been tracking her

335
00:15:10,809 --> 00:15:11,309
Twitter feed up there --

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00:15:11,310 --> 00:15:12,010
Mr. Earnest: I have not.

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00:15:12,011 --> 00:15:13,041
The Press: -- but it may not
surprise you that Donald

338
00:15:13,045 --> 00:15:13,975
Trump has tweeted.

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00:15:13,979 --> 00:15:16,049
Mr. Earnest: I'm
not surprised.

340
00:15:16,048 --> 00:15:18,088
The Press: "Obama just
endorsed crooked Hillary.

341
00:15:18,083 --> 00:15:23,353
He wants four more years
of Obama, but nobody else does."

342
00:15:23,355 --> 00:15:26,555
(laughter)

343
00:15:26,558 --> 00:15:28,358
Is that what he wants?

344
00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:29,560
Four more years of Obama?

345
00:15:29,561 --> 00:15:30,561
Mr. Earnest: Well, no.

346
00:15:30,562 --> 00:15:32,862
I think there have been a
number of occasions over the

347
00:15:32,865 --> 00:15:35,835
last several months where
you all have pointed out to

348
00:15:35,834 --> 00:15:38,974
me some differences between
Secretary Clinton and

349
00:15:38,971 --> 00:15:40,271
President Obama.

350
00:15:40,272 --> 00:15:46,512
So they do not have the same
opinion on every issue.

351
00:15:46,512 --> 00:15:49,112
But I think, again, just to
go back to this video that

352
00:15:49,114 --> 00:15:53,114
was released today, the
President said unequivocally

353
00:15:53,118 --> 00:15:55,818
that he does not believe --
at least he can't remember

354
00:15:55,821 --> 00:15:58,891
somebody who has been more
qualified -- a candidate

355
00:15:58,891 --> 00:16:01,131
that's been more qualified
to hold this office.

356
00:16:01,126 --> 00:16:05,166
And after getting to know
her personally, working

357
00:16:05,164 --> 00:16:07,364
closely with her in the
first four years of this

358
00:16:07,366 --> 00:16:11,506
administration, and spending
more than a year on the

359
00:16:11,503 --> 00:16:15,543
campaign trail competing
against her in the 2008

360
00:16:15,541 --> 00:16:18,281
presidential election,
the President has had to

361
00:16:18,277 --> 00:16:19,577
opportunity to watch
Secretary Clinton perform

362
00:16:19,578 --> 00:16:21,378
up close.

363
00:16:21,380 --> 00:16:24,320
And he's seen her tenacity,
her dedication, her

364
00:16:24,316 --> 00:16:29,786
commitment to a set of
principles that they share.

365
00:16:29,788 --> 00:16:31,958
And that's why the President
is quite enthusiastic about

366
00:16:31,957 --> 00:16:34,227
her campaign.

367
00:16:34,226 --> 00:16:35,096
Let's move around.

368
00:16:35,094 --> 00:16:35,894
Toluse.

369
00:16:35,894 --> 00:16:36,894
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

370
00:16:36,895 --> 00:16:39,095
Can you at this point
confirm that the President

371
00:16:39,098 --> 00:16:42,298
did vote for Secretary
Clinton during the Illinois

372
00:16:42,301 --> 00:16:44,041
primary a few months back?

373
00:16:44,036 --> 00:16:46,876
Mr. Earnest: I did not ask
the President about which

374
00:16:46,872 --> 00:16:51,512
box he checked on his
ballot, but I'm not aware

375
00:16:51,510 --> 00:16:54,880
that he changed his mind at
any point over the course of

376
00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,580
the primary.

377
00:16:57,583 --> 00:16:59,083
The Press: And now that the
endorsement is officially

378
00:16:59,084 --> 00:17:02,424
out, I want to sort of
revisit a question that you

379
00:17:02,421 --> 00:17:05,021
were asked a couple of days
ago about the First Lady.

380
00:17:05,023 --> 00:17:06,493
She's going to be
doing an event, the "

381
00:17:06,492 --> 00:17:09,532
United State of Women," I
believe next week.

382
00:17:09,528 --> 00:17:11,568
Can we expect to see her,
now that we have our first

383
00:17:11,563 --> 00:17:16,433
woman nominee, sort of make
the case for Secretary

384
00:17:16,435 --> 00:17:18,505
Clinton on the campaign
trail as well?

385
00:17:18,504 --> 00:17:19,734
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
that event that you're

386
00:17:19,738 --> 00:17:22,038
referring to is one that has
been in the works for months

387
00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:24,580
now here at the White House.

388
00:17:24,576 --> 00:17:25,946
So it is not a
campaign event.

389
00:17:25,944 --> 00:17:27,614
It's an official event to
talk about a series of

390
00:17:27,613 --> 00:17:31,083
issues that are critically
important to America's women

391
00:17:31,083 --> 00:17:32,583
and American families.

392
00:17:32,584 --> 00:17:34,924
And there are a wide range
of issues that they'll discuss.

393
00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,390
Part of that event includes
a conversation that the

394
00:17:38,390 --> 00:17:41,060
First Lady will have
with Oprah Winfrey.

395
00:17:41,059 --> 00:17:42,699
So I don't know if it will
come up in the context of

396
00:17:42,694 --> 00:17:47,664
that conversation, but this
is an event that was planned

397
00:17:47,666 --> 00:17:49,936
independent of any
consideration of Secretary

398
00:17:49,935 --> 00:17:51,065
Clinton's campaign.

399
00:17:51,069 --> 00:17:54,039
That said, I think it is
entirely fair for you to

400
00:17:54,039 --> 00:17:58,139
interpret President Obama's
remarks in the video that

401
00:17:58,143 --> 00:18:02,713
was released today as
consistent with the First

402
00:18:02,714 --> 00:18:04,914
Lady's views of
the campaign.

403
00:18:04,917 --> 00:18:21,667
The First Lady is
enthusiastic about Secretary

404
00:18:21,667 --> 00:18:23,667
Clinton's campaign, and you
can certainly interpret that

405
00:18:23,669 --> 00:18:24,669
video as a joint
endorsement.

406
00:18:24,670 --> 00:18:26,670
And at some point -- I don't
know exactly when that will

407
00:18:26,672 --> 00:18:28,672
be -- but at some point, I'm
confident that the First

408
00:18:28,674 --> 00:18:30,674
Lady will have an
opportunity to share her own

409
00:18:30,676 --> 00:18:32,676
views in her own words
about why she believes it's

410
00:18:32,678 --> 00:18:35,048
important for Secretary
Clinton to succeed

411
00:18:35,047 --> 00:18:38,817
President Obama.

412
00:18:38,817 --> 00:18:40,817
I'll end by reminding you
that there are a number of

413
00:18:40,819 --> 00:18:44,959
occasions where Mrs. Obama
has discussed her deep

414
00:18:44,957 --> 00:18:49,057
admiration for Secretary
Clinton's public service,

415
00:18:49,061 --> 00:18:50,501
her career.

416
00:18:50,496 --> 00:18:56,366
She's been a trailblazer,
and Mrs. Obama deeply

417
00:18:56,368 --> 00:19:00,438
respects what Secretary
Clinton has done and the

418
00:19:00,439 --> 00:19:02,239
issues that she's fought for
over the course of her

419
00:19:02,241 --> 00:19:03,241
long career.

420
00:19:03,242 --> 00:19:04,042
The Press: One more.

421
00:19:04,042 --> 00:19:06,782
Yesterday, the President at
the fundraiser said that he

422
00:19:06,778 --> 00:19:09,118
was concerned about the
ability of the Democrats to

423
00:19:09,114 --> 00:19:12,914
do sort of the hard work of
the ground game of turning

424
00:19:12,918 --> 00:19:15,688
out young voters, low-income
voters, like he did in 2008

425
00:19:15,687 --> 00:19:17,057
and 2012.

426
00:19:17,055 --> 00:19:20,395
Is that sort of a tacit
criticism of the Clinton

427
00:19:20,392 --> 00:19:23,132
campaign, that she hasn't
been able to reach those

428
00:19:23,128 --> 00:19:24,628
voters so far?

429
00:19:24,630 --> 00:19:25,430
Mr. Earnest: No, it's not.

430
00:19:25,430 --> 00:19:29,200
The President was making a
point similar to the point

431
00:19:29,201 --> 00:19:32,941
that he made in South
Florida at the end of last

432
00:19:32,938 --> 00:19:35,278
week, where he talked about
how important it is for

433
00:19:35,274 --> 00:19:42,544
Democrats to run scared, to
not be complacent about what

434
00:19:42,548 --> 00:19:43,778
the polls say.

435
00:19:43,782 --> 00:19:49,552
The stakes in this election
are high, and the Republican

436
00:19:49,555 --> 00:19:53,595
nominee has certainly defied
conventional wisdom in the past.

437
00:19:53,592 --> 00:20:05,302
And his campaign is one
that Democrats should

438
00:20:05,304 --> 00:20:06,304
take seriously.

439
00:20:06,305 --> 00:20:10,475
And the President certainly
intends to devote a lot of

440
00:20:10,475 --> 00:20:14,145
time and energy to making
sure that voters all across

441
00:20:14,146 --> 00:20:17,086
the country -- Democrats,
independents and Republicans

442
00:20:17,082 --> 00:20:19,522
-- understand
the high stakes.

443
00:20:19,518 --> 00:20:22,318
And the President will
certainly make a strong and

444
00:20:22,321 --> 00:20:26,921
clear case for the candidate
that he believe is at least

445
00:20:26,925 --> 00:20:28,925
as qualified as any other
candidate to seek the office

446
00:20:28,927 --> 00:20:31,467
of the presidency in
our nation's history.

447
00:20:31,463 --> 00:20:32,493
April.

448
00:20:32,497 --> 00:20:34,697
The Press: Josh, a
couple of questions.

449
00:20:34,700 --> 00:20:37,870
The Sanders campaign, or
Bernie Sanders has been

450
00:20:37,869 --> 00:20:41,539
looking at history when it
comes to this

451
00:20:41,540 --> 00:20:43,110
unification process.

452
00:20:43,108 --> 00:20:45,808
They have looked at 2008,
when Hillary Clinton

453
00:20:45,811 --> 00:20:50,551
conceded and Barack Obama
reached out his hand for

454
00:20:50,549 --> 00:20:52,019
unification with
Hillary Clinton.

455
00:20:52,017 --> 00:20:55,817
For this President, what
does the unification process

456
00:20:55,821 --> 00:20:57,791
with Hillary Clinton and
Bernie Sanders look like,

457
00:20:57,789 --> 00:21:00,789
particularly when it
comes to his supporters?

458
00:21:00,792 --> 00:21:03,462
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
I think you're making an

459
00:21:03,462 --> 00:21:05,462
important point, which is
that there's some relevant

460
00:21:05,464 --> 00:21:12,174
history here; that Secretary
Clinton was not in such a

461
00:21:12,170 --> 00:21:15,270
different situation than the
one facing

462
00:21:15,273 --> 00:21:19,913
Senator Sanders today.

463
00:21:19,911 --> 00:21:22,251
What Secretary Clinton did
-- and this is well-known

464
00:21:22,247 --> 00:21:28,617
history now -- is she was
justifiably proud of the

465
00:21:28,620 --> 00:21:31,720
historic nature of her
campaign in 2007 and 2008.

466
00:21:31,723 --> 00:21:35,593
She was proud of the strong
support that she got from

467
00:21:35,594 --> 00:21:38,964
voters all across
the country.

468
00:21:38,964 --> 00:21:48,744
But she also made clear that
then-Senator Obama was the

469
00:21:48,740 --> 00:21:54,080
best opportunity that our
country had to advance the

470
00:21:54,079 --> 00:21:56,079
priorities that she'd
been campaigning on.

471
00:21:56,081 --> 00:22:00,221
And again, I think there's a
relevant analogy to be drawn

472
00:22:00,218 --> 00:22:02,658
between what happened
eight years ago and what's

473
00:22:02,654 --> 00:22:04,124
happening right now.

474
00:22:04,122 --> 00:22:05,392
The Press: Since you're
saying this relevant

475
00:22:05,390 --> 00:22:09,130
analogy, can you bring us
back to how beyond paying

476
00:22:09,127 --> 00:22:11,897
for her campaign debt, bring
us back to how President

477
00:22:11,897 --> 00:22:14,067
Obama worked with Hillary
Clinton to get her

478
00:22:14,066 --> 00:22:18,136
supporters, who were very
angry at the time, like now,

479
00:22:18,136 --> 00:22:20,136
to follow him?

480
00:22:20,138 --> 00:22:22,378
What was that piece
that people had --

481
00:22:22,374 --> 00:22:26,714
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
-- look, I think what's

482
00:22:26,712 --> 00:22:31,082
important is to be
respectful of those voters.

483
00:22:31,083 --> 00:22:36,423
And certainly in 2008,
President Obama --

484
00:22:36,421 --> 00:22:39,621
then-Senator Obama was
deeply of the investment and

485
00:22:39,624 --> 00:22:42,594
commitment that had been
shown by then-Senator

486
00:22:42,594 --> 00:22:44,694
Clinton's supporters.

487
00:22:44,696 --> 00:22:48,096
And over the course of that
summer and fall, President

488
00:22:48,100 --> 00:22:51,900
Obama and his campaign --
with the strong support and

489
00:22:51,903 --> 00:22:57,243
endorsement of then-Senator
Clinton -- made a powerful case.

490
00:22:57,242 --> 00:23:01,852
And I don't think there were
too many of those supporters

491
00:23:01,847 --> 00:23:04,487
that were
converted in a day.

492
00:23:04,483 --> 00:23:06,483
But over the course of
the campaign, I think the

493
00:23:06,485 --> 00:23:08,755
President made
a strong case.

494
00:23:08,754 --> 00:23:10,754
And I think Secretary
Clinton is certainly

495
00:23:10,756 --> 00:23:13,126
well-positioned to do the
same thing with regard to

496
00:23:13,125 --> 00:23:15,395
Senator Sanders's
supporters.

497
00:23:15,393 --> 00:23:16,663
The Press: What is
the concern in this

498
00:23:16,661 --> 00:23:19,161
administration about the
independents that could go

499
00:23:19,164 --> 00:23:22,734
to Trump, particularly when
it comes to issues of trade?

500
00:23:22,734 --> 00:23:25,434
They didn't like Hillary
Clinton's trade issues or

501
00:23:25,437 --> 00:23:27,937
trade stand, and they were
for Bernie Sanders, and

502
00:23:27,939 --> 00:23:29,179
they'd vote for
Donald Trump?

503
00:23:29,174 --> 00:23:32,344
Mr. Earnest: Well, again, as
you all have pointed out to

504
00:23:32,344 --> 00:23:34,544
me a number of times in
this room, all three of the

505
00:23:34,546 --> 00:23:38,346
candidates that you just
named have the same position

506
00:23:38,350 --> 00:23:40,350
on the Trans-Pacific
Partnership.

507
00:23:40,352 --> 00:23:42,492
And it's a different one
than President Obama has.

508
00:23:42,487 --> 00:23:46,487
The Press: Okay, then
lastly, one last piece to

509
00:23:46,491 --> 00:23:49,591
Tuesday and the video.

510
00:23:49,594 --> 00:23:50,994
What time was
that video made?

511
00:23:50,996 --> 00:23:52,266
Was it after New Jersey?

512
00:23:52,264 --> 00:23:53,294
Or was it during the day?

513
00:23:53,298 --> 00:23:54,298
Or was it after California?

514
00:23:54,299 --> 00:23:55,539
What time was
that video made?

515
00:23:55,534 --> 00:23:56,804
Mr. Earnest: I believe it
was during the day, but it

516
00:23:56,802 --> 00:23:58,802
certainly was after a number
of your news organizations

517
00:23:58,804 --> 00:24:00,574
had declared Hillary Clinton
the presumptive Democratic

518
00:24:00,572 --> 00:24:02,542
nominee for President.

519
00:24:02,541 --> 00:24:03,411
Olivier.

520
00:24:03,408 --> 00:24:03,938
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

521
00:24:03,942 --> 00:24:05,242
That was the
Map Room, right?

522
00:24:05,243 --> 00:24:07,683
Mr. Earnest: I don't know
exactly which room it was.

523
00:24:07,679 --> 00:24:10,719
It was a room in the
White House residence.

524
00:24:10,715 --> 00:24:11,415
This is --

525
00:24:11,416 --> 00:24:12,086
The Press: There
are a lot of rooms.

526
00:24:12,083 --> 00:24:12,753
Mr. Earnest: There are.

527
00:24:12,751 --> 00:24:14,351
I don't know
which one it was.

528
00:24:14,352 --> 00:24:17,152
But this is certainly
consistent with the practice

529
00:24:17,155 --> 00:24:24,425
that previous Presidents
have followed when engaged

530
00:24:24,429 --> 00:24:28,699
in taping videos for
political purposes.

531
00:24:28,700 --> 00:24:30,700
This is what
President Reagan did.

532
00:24:30,702 --> 00:24:32,702
This is what both
President Bushes did.

533
00:24:32,704 --> 00:24:34,704
This is what President
Clinton did.

534
00:24:34,706 --> 00:24:36,706
And it's what President
Obama has done before.

535
00:24:36,708 --> 00:24:38,708
The Press: Costs borne
by the Hillary campaign?

536
00:24:38,710 --> 00:24:42,510
Mr. Earnest: Either the
Hillary campaign or the DNC.

537
00:24:42,514 --> 00:24:46,484
What I can confirm for you
is it was not filmed at

538
00:24:46,484 --> 00:24:47,484
government expense.

539
00:24:47,485 --> 00:24:49,485
The Press: Who
wrote the script?

540
00:24:49,487 --> 00:24:51,487
Mr. Earnest: I don't know
who was involved in writing

541
00:24:51,489 --> 00:24:52,529
the script.

542
00:24:52,524 --> 00:24:53,494
But again --

543
00:24:53,491 --> 00:24:56,461
The Press: Both camps at the
White House, and the Hillary

544
00:24:56,461 --> 00:24:58,961
campaign, or the DNC?

545
00:24:58,964 --> 00:25:01,034
Mr. Earnest: Some
combination I think is the

546
00:25:01,032 --> 00:25:01,702
best way to describe it.

547
00:25:01,700 --> 00:25:04,840
The Press: And you have
always said in the past that

548
00:25:04,836 --> 00:25:06,836
when it comes to the
President's endorsements,

549
00:25:06,838 --> 00:25:10,778
it's the candidate who makes
the decision about the timing.

550
00:25:10,775 --> 00:25:14,445
Your hesitation about
confirming that the

551
00:25:14,446 --> 00:25:17,116
President may have given a
head's up to Senator Sanders

552
00:25:17,115 --> 00:25:19,885
in their meeting, I kind
of want to nail that down.

553
00:25:19,885 --> 00:25:22,755
Did the Hillary Clinton
campaign decide when that

554
00:25:22,754 --> 00:25:23,754
went up?

555
00:25:23,755 --> 00:25:25,725
Or did you guys decide
when that went up?

556
00:25:25,724 --> 00:25:27,924
Mr. Earnest: Well, I don't
recall having said that the

557
00:25:27,926 --> 00:25:29,926
candidates themselves
determine that.

558
00:25:29,928 --> 00:25:34,198
Obviously, President Obama
made a very purposeful

559
00:25:34,199 --> 00:25:37,539
decision over the course of
this campaign to not weigh

560
00:25:37,535 --> 00:25:40,335
in and to give Democratic
voters across the country

561
00:25:40,338 --> 00:25:45,008
the opportunity to determine
who should represent our

562
00:25:45,010 --> 00:25:46,240
party in the
general election.

563
00:25:46,244 --> 00:25:50,684
So the timing of this
decision was one that was

564
00:25:50,682 --> 00:25:52,252
driven by the President.

565
00:25:52,250 --> 00:25:56,450
But obviously, as I noted
yesterday, the White House

566
00:25:56,454 --> 00:26:00,454
had an open line of
communication with

567
00:26:00,458 --> 00:26:03,098
each campaign.

568
00:26:03,094 --> 00:26:07,464
And so in order to make sure
that Senator Sanders wasn't

569
00:26:07,465 --> 00:26:10,065
surprised, it required
President Obama to

570
00:26:10,068 --> 00:26:11,538
communicate with
Senator Sanders.

571
00:26:11,536 --> 00:26:14,506
And in order to make sure
that Secretary Clinton's

572
00:26:14,506 --> 00:26:17,046
campaign was in a position
to release the video, we

573
00:26:17,042 --> 00:26:19,742
obviously had to communicate
with them, as well.

574
00:26:19,744 --> 00:26:23,614
The Press: And lastly,
poor D.C. voters, right?

575
00:26:23,615 --> 00:26:25,815
(laughter)

576
00:26:25,817 --> 00:26:27,817
Should they just stay home?

577
00:26:27,819 --> 00:26:30,359
Is that part of the message
here, that the decision has

578
00:26:30,355 --> 00:26:33,155
been made now,
the race is over?

579
00:26:33,158 --> 00:26:35,298
Their votes don't matter
as much a California, New

580
00:26:35,293 --> 00:26:36,293
Jersey, or other states?

581
00:26:36,294 --> 00:26:38,394
Mr. Earnest: Well, no,
that's not how I would

582
00:26:38,396 --> 00:26:39,396
describe it.

583
00:26:39,397 --> 00:26:43,667
I think the President is
somebody who has on a number

584
00:26:43,668 --> 00:26:48,578
of occasions articulated his
view that people should be

585
00:26:48,573 --> 00:26:50,573
engaged in the
political process.

586
00:26:50,575 --> 00:26:52,775
People should be engaged
in the public debate.

587
00:26:52,777 --> 00:26:54,777
And certainly an important
way to do that is to

588
00:26:54,779 --> 00:26:56,779
participate in elections.

589
00:26:56,781 --> 00:26:58,781
There are delegates that
are up for election to the

590
00:26:58,783 --> 00:27:01,883
Democratic Convention, and
that is something that's

591
00:27:01,886 --> 00:27:07,226
worth voting on.

592
00:27:07,225 --> 00:27:11,425
Look, I think what other
people have suggested is

593
00:27:11,429 --> 00:27:13,899
that there are potentially
reforms to the nomination

594
00:27:13,898 --> 00:27:22,178
process that could be made
that could potentially put

595
00:27:22,173 --> 00:27:24,843
District voters in a
position to have more

596
00:27:24,843 --> 00:27:28,243
influence on the process
than they do now.

597
00:27:28,246 --> 00:27:29,016
James.

598
00:27:29,014 --> 00:27:30,214
The Press: Josh, thank you.

599
00:27:30,215 --> 00:27:31,715
A few quick
different subjects.

600
00:27:31,716 --> 00:27:32,756
Mr. Earnest: Sure.

601
00:27:32,751 --> 00:27:35,151
The Press: Does the
President have confidence in

602
00:27:35,153 --> 00:27:38,093
Debbie Wasserman Schultz to
retain her position through

603
00:27:38,089 --> 00:27:38,859
the end of this cycle?

604
00:27:38,857 --> 00:27:41,297
Mr. Earnest: James, the
President was in South

605
00:27:41,292 --> 00:27:44,792
Florida at the end of last
week, and he talked about

606
00:27:44,796 --> 00:27:47,166
her service as the chair
of the Democratic

607
00:27:47,165 --> 00:27:48,905
National Committee.

608
00:27:48,900 --> 00:27:51,270
The President appointed her
to be the chair of the DNC

609
00:27:51,269 --> 00:27:53,539
during his first term, which
means that part of her

610
00:27:53,538 --> 00:27:58,548
legacy at the DNC is having
built a Democratic campaign

611
00:27:58,543 --> 00:28:02,313
apparatus that succeeded in
reelecting the first African

612
00:28:02,313 --> 00:28:04,313
American President
of the United States.

613
00:28:04,315 --> 00:28:06,315
President Obama is, of
course, the first President

614
00:28:06,317 --> 00:28:08,417
since Eisenhower to be
elected and reelected with

615
00:28:08,420 --> 00:28:10,420
more than 50
percent of the vote.

616
00:28:10,422 --> 00:28:15,492
And certainly the DNC and
the structure that was built

617
00:28:15,493 --> 00:28:21,203
and financed through Debbie
Wasserman Schultz's efforts

618
00:28:21,199 --> 00:28:22,229
can take some
credit for that.

619
00:28:22,233 --> 00:28:23,233
She should.

620
00:28:23,234 --> 00:28:25,404
So the President made clear
that Debbie Wasserman

621
00:28:25,403 --> 00:28:27,403
Schultz has always had his
back, and he's going

622
00:28:27,405 --> 00:28:28,405
to have hers.

623
00:28:28,406 --> 00:28:30,706
And the President announced
his support for her

624
00:28:30,708 --> 00:28:31,708
reelection campaign.

625
00:28:31,709 --> 00:28:33,709
And he certainly is
appreciative of all the

626
00:28:33,711 --> 00:28:36,481
important work that she
has done at the DNC.

627
00:28:36,481 --> 00:28:40,721
The Press: Was there
ever any point where the

628
00:28:40,718 --> 00:28:44,688
President ever considered
endorsing anyone other than

629
00:28:44,689 --> 00:28:46,459
Hillary Clinton?

630
00:28:46,458 --> 00:28:48,958
Mr. Earnest: As I alluded to
Toluse, I'm not aware that

631
00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,360
the President ever changed
his mind in the course of

632
00:28:52,363 --> 00:28:53,633
the Democratic primary.

633
00:28:53,631 --> 00:28:56,971
The Press: You mentioned
earlier that President Obama

634
00:28:56,968 --> 00:29:01,338
carried Wisconsin
twice in a row.

635
00:29:01,339 --> 00:29:06,479
Why shouldn't we interpret
the President's decision to

636
00:29:06,478 --> 00:29:09,948
campaign there with Hillary
Clinton as his first outing

637
00:29:09,948 --> 00:29:13,448
as a sign of weakness on
the part of the Democratic

638
00:29:13,451 --> 00:29:16,251
ticket since they're going
to be campaigning in a state

639
00:29:16,254 --> 00:29:18,324
where, by all accounts, they
should easily be able to

640
00:29:18,323 --> 00:29:19,253
retain that state?

641
00:29:19,257 --> 00:29:21,457
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
President had to compete for

642
00:29:21,459 --> 00:29:23,129
Wisconsin both
in 2008 and 2012.

643
00:29:23,128 --> 00:29:25,028
Those were hard-fought
elections, but both times he

644
00:29:25,029 --> 00:29:26,369
came out on top.

645
00:29:26,364 --> 00:29:30,264
So I would anticipate a
similar outcome in 2016.

646
00:29:30,268 --> 00:29:32,068
The Press: Two more
things really quickly.

647
00:29:32,070 --> 00:29:34,340
You just stated at the
podium just now that you

648
00:29:34,339 --> 00:29:36,539
believe that there's a very
strong case to be made for

649
00:29:36,541 --> 00:29:39,381
the President's economic
stewardship over the course

650
00:29:39,377 --> 00:29:41,917
of the last seven
and a half years.

651
00:29:41,913 --> 00:29:44,853
Senator Sanders, in his
statement in the White House

652
00:29:44,849 --> 00:29:48,819
driveway today, painted a
very different picture.

653
00:29:48,820 --> 00:29:51,790
Senator Sanders said that
the "United States right now

654
00:29:51,789 --> 00:29:54,489
is drifting toward
oligarchy."

655
00:29:54,492 --> 00:29:55,762
Does the President
agree with that?

656
00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,260
Mr. Earnest: I think the
President certainly agrees

657
00:29:59,264 --> 00:30:02,704
that there is more work
to be done to address

658
00:30:02,700 --> 00:30:04,840
increasing economic
inequality in this country.

659
00:30:04,836 --> 00:30:06,376
The Press: Are we drifting
toward oligarchy?

660
00:30:06,371 --> 00:30:08,841
Mr. Earnest: Those are
Senator Sanders's words.

661
00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:10,440
The Press: I'm
asking if you agree.

662
00:30:10,441 --> 00:30:11,741
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
what the President agrees

663
00:30:11,743 --> 00:30:14,183
with is the notion that
there is more that can be

664
00:30:14,179 --> 00:30:16,649
done to fight economic
inequality in this country.

665
00:30:16,648 --> 00:30:18,348
And the President has put
forward some very specific

666
00:30:18,349 --> 00:30:22,289
ideas for how to do that.

667
00:30:22,287 --> 00:30:24,287
Unfortunately, many of those
ideas have been blocked by

668
00:30:24,289 --> 00:30:25,289
Republicans in Congress.

669
00:30:25,290 --> 00:30:27,290
We can certainly start by
raising the minimum wage.

670
00:30:27,292 --> 00:30:29,292
But, look, I think the
President is proud -- and

671
00:30:29,294 --> 00:30:31,294
justifiably so -- of the
remarkable progress that our

672
00:30:31,296 --> 00:30:33,266
country has made over
the last seven years.

673
00:30:33,264 --> 00:30:35,264
But he's certainly
not satisfied.

674
00:30:35,266 --> 00:30:37,266
There is a lot more
important work that needs to

675
00:30:37,268 --> 00:30:39,268
be done, which is why he
believes it's so important

676
00:30:39,270 --> 00:30:41,270
that he's succeeded by
somebody who wants to build

677
00:30:41,272 --> 00:30:43,272
on the progress that we've
made and not tear it down.

678
00:30:43,274 --> 00:30:45,274
The Press: Presumably, if
you or the President agreed

679
00:30:45,276 --> 00:30:46,776
that we are presently
drifting toward oligarchy

680
00:30:46,778 --> 00:30:49,478
you would have said so in
response to my question.

681
00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:51,680
Mr. Earnest: Those are
Senator Sanders's words, and

682
00:30:51,683 --> 00:30:53,683
I'm using my own
to convey our view.

683
00:30:53,685 --> 00:30:56,525
The Press: Last
subject matter.

684
00:30:56,521 --> 00:30:59,891
Previously, the President
has used one public forum or

685
00:30:59,891 --> 00:31:03,031
another to comment on the
FBI investigation into

686
00:31:03,027 --> 00:31:05,197
Mrs. Clinton and
her email conduct.

687
00:31:05,196 --> 00:31:08,266
At one point, he stated that
as far as he could see,

688
00:31:08,266 --> 00:31:11,766
there was no real damage
done to national security.

689
00:31:11,769 --> 00:31:14,039
You yourself from this
podium have suggested that

690
00:31:14,038 --> 00:31:17,438
the investigation wasn't
trending toward any focus on

691
00:31:17,442 --> 00:31:19,312
Mrs. Clinton herself.

692
00:31:19,310 --> 00:31:23,310
I wonder if you could
address for us the potential

693
00:31:23,314 --> 00:31:26,484
conflict of interest that
might exist when the

694
00:31:26,484 --> 00:31:28,484
President of the United
States, the head of the

695
00:31:28,486 --> 00:31:31,786
executive branch, is openly
saying, I want this woman to

696
00:31:31,789 --> 00:31:36,099
succeed me in the Oval
Office, and you have other

697
00:31:36,094 --> 00:31:37,694
employees of the executive
branch -- career

698
00:31:37,695 --> 00:31:40,735
prosecutors, FBI agents --
working this case who now

699
00:31:40,732 --> 00:31:42,732
have just heard how the
President wants to see this

700
00:31:42,734 --> 00:31:44,034
case resolved, in essence.

701
00:31:44,035 --> 00:31:46,035
Isn't there some
conflict there?

702
00:31:46,037 --> 00:31:48,037
Mr. Earnest: James,
there is not.

703
00:31:48,039 --> 00:31:50,039
And you noted a couple of
instances in which the

704
00:31:50,041 --> 00:31:53,511
President had been asked
about the FBI investigation,

705
00:31:53,511 --> 00:31:57,051
and in each of those answers
the President made clear

706
00:31:57,048 --> 00:31:59,618
that that investigation is
one that is being conducted

707
00:31:59,617 --> 00:32:02,257
independent of any sort of
political interference.

708
00:32:02,253 --> 00:32:04,293
That is a principle to which
the President is

709
00:32:04,289 --> 00:32:06,289
resolutely committed.

710
00:32:06,291 --> 00:32:07,461
You mentioned my comments.

711
00:32:07,458 --> 00:32:11,028
My comments were actually
also in response to a

712
00:32:11,029 --> 00:32:14,899
question and were a
reference to published

713
00:32:14,899 --> 00:32:19,609
reports of comments from
FBI officials about the

714
00:32:19,604 --> 00:32:21,574
direction of the
investigation.

715
00:32:21,572 --> 00:32:25,912
But, look, the reason
that the President feels

716
00:32:25,910 --> 00:32:29,710
confident that he can go out
and make this endorsement

717
00:32:29,714 --> 00:32:33,584
and record a video in which
he describes his strong

718
00:32:33,584 --> 00:32:36,354
support for Secretary
Clinton's campaign is that

719
00:32:36,354 --> 00:32:38,854
he knows the people who are
conducting the investigation

720
00:32:38,856 --> 00:32:41,396
aren't going to be swayed
by any sort of political

721
00:32:41,392 --> 00:32:42,392
interference.

722
00:32:42,393 --> 00:32:44,393
They aren't going to be
swayed by political forces.

723
00:32:44,395 --> 00:32:46,395
That they know that the
investigation should be

724
00:32:46,397 --> 00:32:48,567
guided by the facts and
that they should follow the

725
00:32:48,566 --> 00:32:50,106
evidence where it leads.

726
00:32:50,101 --> 00:32:52,441
And the President has
complete confidence that

727
00:32:52,437 --> 00:32:53,437
that's exactly
what they'll do.

728
00:32:53,438 --> 00:32:57,708
The Press: So when a career
prosecutor or an FBI agent

729
00:32:57,709 --> 00:33:00,679
who's working on the Clinton
investigation hears this

730
00:33:00,678 --> 00:33:04,248
President speak openly of
how he wants Hillary Clinton

731
00:33:04,248 --> 00:33:06,718
to succeed him, you don't
think that that career

732
00:33:06,718 --> 00:33:09,888
prosecutor or that FBI
agent takes that as some

733
00:33:09,887 --> 00:33:11,887
indication of how the
President wants to see this

734
00:33:11,889 --> 00:33:13,729
case resolved?

735
00:33:13,725 --> 00:33:14,695
Mr. Earnest: No.

736
00:33:14,692 --> 00:33:16,932
I think that those career
prosecutors understand that

737
00:33:16,928 --> 00:33:19,998
they have a job to do, and
that that job that they're

738
00:33:19,997 --> 00:33:22,697
supposed to -- which is to
follow the facts, to pursue

739
00:33:22,700 --> 00:33:26,170
the evidence to a logical
conclusion -- that that is a

740
00:33:26,170 --> 00:33:29,670
job that they are
responsible for doing

741
00:33:29,674 --> 00:33:31,674
without any sort of
political interference.

742
00:33:31,676 --> 00:33:33,676
And the President expects
them to do that job.

743
00:33:33,678 --> 00:33:35,878
And, look, this is the
reason that we actually ask

744
00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:38,520
career federal prosecutors
to take the lead on these

745
00:33:38,516 --> 00:33:39,586
kinds of matters.

746
00:33:39,584 --> 00:33:41,584
They're the ones who
conduct this investigation.

747
00:33:41,586 --> 00:33:43,656
They don't have
political jobs.

748
00:33:43,654 --> 00:33:46,054
They have career jobs as law
enforcement officers and as

749
00:33:46,057 --> 00:33:47,827
prosecutors and
as investigators.

750
00:33:47,825 --> 00:33:49,765
And that's what their
responsibility is.

751
00:33:49,761 --> 00:33:51,361
And that's why the
President, when discussing

752
00:33:51,362 --> 00:33:56,272
this issue, in each
stage has reiterated his

753
00:33:56,267 --> 00:34:00,167
commitment to this principle
-- that any criminal

754
00:34:00,171 --> 00:34:03,171
investigation should be
conducted independent of any

755
00:34:03,174 --> 00:34:05,674
sort of political
interference and that people

756
00:34:05,676 --> 00:34:08,846
should be treated the
same way before the law,

757
00:34:08,846 --> 00:34:12,786
regardless of their
political influence,

758
00:34:12,784 --> 00:34:14,954
regardless of their
political party, regardless

759
00:34:14,952 --> 00:34:17,492
of their political stature,
and regardless of what

760
00:34:17,488 --> 00:34:19,488
political figure
has endorsed them.

761
00:34:19,490 --> 00:34:21,490
The Press: To your
knowledge, has President

762
00:34:21,492 --> 00:34:23,232
Obama ever discussed the
Department of Justice

763
00:34:23,227 --> 00:34:24,527
investigation with
Mrs. Clinton?

764
00:34:24,529 --> 00:34:25,429
Mr. Earnest: He has not.

765
00:34:25,430 --> 00:34:26,600
He has not.

766
00:34:26,597 --> 00:34:27,497
Margaret.

767
00:34:27,498 --> 00:34:30,268
The Press: Josh, to what
extent would you say today's

768
00:34:30,268 --> 00:34:32,768
meeting with Bernie Sanders
was -- in front of the

769
00:34:32,770 --> 00:34:35,770
cameras, here at the White
House -- a formality in some

770
00:34:35,773 --> 00:34:39,413
ways to soften the blow not
only to him but to so many

771
00:34:39,410 --> 00:34:43,480
of his young supporters who
are so badly needed on the

772
00:34:43,481 --> 00:34:45,721
campaign trail backed
by Hillary Clinton?

773
00:34:45,716 --> 00:34:47,986
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
I would not describe the

774
00:34:47,985 --> 00:34:50,055
meeting as a formality
because I think the

775
00:34:50,054 --> 00:34:53,524
President is deeply
respectful of Senator

776
00:34:53,524 --> 00:34:59,334
Sanders and the campaign
that he has run over the

777
00:34:59,330 --> 00:35:03,070
last year or so.

778
00:35:03,067 --> 00:35:06,807
So again, they had a serious
conversation about the

779
00:35:06,804 --> 00:35:11,074
stakes of the upcoming
general election and about

780
00:35:11,075 --> 00:35:13,945
the future of the Democratic
Party, something that both

781
00:35:13,945 --> 00:35:16,845
candidates are quite
interested in.

782
00:35:16,848 --> 00:35:20,688
So this was an
important meeting.

783
00:35:20,685 --> 00:35:23,185
This was an important part
of the President's day, and

784
00:35:23,187 --> 00:35:25,157
certainly was an important
part of Senator Sanders's

785
00:35:25,156 --> 00:35:25,686
day too.

786
00:35:25,690 --> 00:35:28,330
The Press: But was there
a request to get his

787
00:35:28,326 --> 00:35:31,926
grassroots supporters on
board with Hillary Clinton?

788
00:35:31,929 --> 00:35:34,829
Mr. Earnest: Look -- no, I'm
not aware of any sort of

789
00:35:34,832 --> 00:35:36,132
specific requests like that.

790
00:35:36,133 --> 00:35:38,933
I think this was an
opportunity for the

791
00:35:38,936 --> 00:35:41,406
President and Senator
Sanders to sit down and

792
00:35:41,405 --> 00:35:42,405
discuss the future.

793
00:35:42,406 --> 00:35:44,406
They did it in friendly
terms -- I think you guys

794
00:35:44,408 --> 00:35:49,978
saw them walking on the
colonnade -- that Senator

795
00:35:49,981 --> 00:35:53,351
Sanders I think is evidently
and justifiably proud of all

796
00:35:53,351 --> 00:35:54,481
that he's accomplished.

797
00:35:54,485 --> 00:35:57,425
And I think he appreciate
the President showing him

798
00:35:57,421 --> 00:36:00,421
respect by inviting him to
the White House and sitting

799
00:36:00,424 --> 00:36:04,494
down for an hour-long
conversation with him, and

800
00:36:04,495 --> 00:36:09,705
giving him the time and
space that's necessary for

801
00:36:09,700 --> 00:36:11,700
Senator Sanders to make some
important decisions about

802
00:36:11,702 --> 00:36:13,702
the future of his campaign
and the future of the

803
00:36:13,704 --> 00:36:14,704
movement that he's built.

804
00:36:14,705 --> 00:36:15,675
The Press: Time and space?

805
00:36:15,673 --> 00:36:17,943
I mean, it was not much
later that the actual

806
00:36:17,942 --> 00:36:18,942
endorsement came out.

807
00:36:18,943 --> 00:36:20,743
I mean, that's not
much time and space.

808
00:36:20,745 --> 00:36:23,345
Mr. Earnest: Well, Senator
Sanders is going to make his

809
00:36:23,347 --> 00:36:25,147
own decisions.

810
00:36:25,149 --> 00:36:25,919
When I'm referring to time
and space, I'm referring to

811
00:36:25,917 --> 00:36:30,087
Senator Sanders making his
own decisions about the

812
00:36:30,087 --> 00:36:32,187
future of his campaign based
on his own preferences and

813
00:36:32,189 --> 00:36:35,259
based on his own schedule.

814
00:36:35,259 --> 00:36:38,299
President Obama
did the same thing.

815
00:36:38,296 --> 00:36:42,896
And the good news is, is
that both men have a strong

816
00:36:42,900 --> 00:36:46,070
commitment to a core set
of values and principles,

817
00:36:46,070 --> 00:36:48,510
particularly as it relates
to the importance of

818
00:36:48,506 --> 00:36:50,206
investing in the
middle class.

819
00:36:50,207 --> 00:36:57,717
Both men have a commitment
to the principle of

820
00:36:57,715 --> 00:37:01,485
grassroots movements and
grassroots coalitions, and

821
00:37:01,485 --> 00:37:07,055
how our party and our
country are stronger when

822
00:37:07,058 --> 00:37:10,058
citizens at the grassroots
level are engaged in the

823
00:37:10,061 --> 00:37:13,161
process of self-government.

824
00:37:13,164 --> 00:37:20,404
And both men have shared
the view that the upcoming

825
00:37:20,404 --> 00:37:23,004
general election is really
important, and that it's

826
00:37:23,007 --> 00:37:25,007
important that President
Obama be succeeded by

827
00:37:25,009 --> 00:37:27,849
somebody who has the same
kind of commitment to those

828
00:37:27,845 --> 00:37:30,585
values that Senator Sanders
and President Obama do.

829
00:37:30,581 --> 00:37:33,981
The Press: In the clip, the
President used the term

830
00:37:33,985 --> 00:37:36,085
"fired up" -- "I'm fired
up," which is reminiscent,

831
00:37:36,087 --> 00:37:38,327
of course, of
his own campaign.

832
00:37:38,322 --> 00:37:40,792
Does the President see
hitting the campaign trail

833
00:37:40,791 --> 00:37:43,561
now for Hillary as, in some
ways, an extension of his

834
00:37:43,561 --> 00:37:46,501
own campaign because in
so many ways it will help

835
00:37:46,497 --> 00:37:47,837
preserve his legacy?

836
00:37:47,832 --> 00:37:50,702
I mean, how mindful
of that is he?

837
00:37:50,701 --> 00:37:53,071
Mr. Earnest: Look, this
is Secretary Clinton's

838
00:37:53,070 --> 00:37:57,410
campaign, and President
Obama is enthusiastic about

839
00:37:57,408 --> 00:37:59,408
doing all that he
can to support it.

840
00:37:59,410 --> 00:38:03,610
And that's exactly what
he said in the video.

841
00:38:03,614 --> 00:38:03,844
The Press: That language
was deliberate, no?

842
00:38:03,848 --> 00:38:05,788
Mr. Earnest: It
was deliberate.

843
00:38:05,783 --> 00:38:08,653
And I think the President is
actually making clear that

844
00:38:08,653 --> 00:38:12,093
he's enthusiastic about
Secretary Clinton's campaign

845
00:38:12,089 --> 00:38:14,259
-- again, not just because
she's got as much -- she's

846
00:38:14,258 --> 00:38:17,858
as qualified as any
presidential candidate in

847
00:38:17,862 --> 00:38:21,832
American history has been,
but because she also has

848
00:38:21,832 --> 00:38:26,172
demonstrated, in a variety
of circumstances --

849
00:38:26,170 --> 00:38:30,110
difficult circumstances --
the heart, the compassion

850
00:38:30,107 --> 00:38:33,047
and the courage to
get the job done.

851
00:38:33,044 --> 00:38:36,484
And the President feels
strongly that she's the

852
00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:39,050
right person to
succeed him in office.

853
00:38:39,050 --> 00:38:41,120
The Press: Can you tell us
anything about this Biden

854
00:38:41,118 --> 00:38:43,618
meeting with Sanders today
and the speech he's going to

855
00:38:43,621 --> 00:38:45,121
be giving?

856
00:38:45,122 --> 00:38:47,292
Mr. Earnest: What I do know
is that Vice President Biden

857
00:38:47,291 --> 00:38:51,261
has invited Senator Sanders
to come to the Naval

858
00:38:51,262 --> 00:38:54,562
Observatory, the vice
presidential residence, for

859
00:38:54,565 --> 00:38:58,265
a meeting around four
o'clock this afternoon where

860
00:38:58,269 --> 00:39:00,269
Vice President Biden and
Senator Sanders will have an

861
00:39:00,271 --> 00:39:02,771
opportunity to have a
conversation about Senator

862
00:39:02,773 --> 00:39:04,773
Sanders's campaign, about
the upcoming general

863
00:39:04,775 --> 00:39:07,945
election, and many of the
issues that Senator Sanders

864
00:39:07,945 --> 00:39:13,555
has been discussing
on the campaign trail.

865
00:39:13,551 --> 00:39:16,891
Vice President Biden is
somebody with a political

866
00:39:16,887 --> 00:39:17,887
following in his own right.

867
00:39:17,888 --> 00:39:20,788
He certainly is somebody
who would be a valuable

868
00:39:20,791 --> 00:39:22,791
surrogate on the
campaign trail.

869
00:39:25,830 --> 00:39:28,030
But once that meeting is
concluded, I'll give Senator

870
00:39:28,032 --> 00:39:30,032
Sanders and the Vice
President's office the

871
00:39:30,034 --> 00:39:34,174
opportunity to discuss any
outcome of that meeting.

872
00:39:34,171 --> 00:39:35,311
The Press: Is it a
strategy session?

873
00:39:35,306 --> 00:39:36,476
Would you describe
it as that?

874
00:39:36,474 --> 00:39:38,474
Mr. Earnest: I'll let them
describe it once they've had

875
00:39:38,476 --> 00:39:39,846
an opportunity to talk.

876
00:39:39,844 --> 00:39:40,844
Andrew.

877
00:39:40,845 --> 00:39:42,845
The Press: Does the
President support getting

878
00:39:42,847 --> 00:39:43,847
rid of superdelegates?

879
00:39:43,848 --> 00:39:46,388
Mr. Earnest: Well, I've not
heard the President weigh in

880
00:39:46,383 --> 00:39:47,853
with that view.

881
00:39:47,852 --> 00:39:51,292
Obviously, the Democratic
National Committee is

882
00:39:51,288 --> 00:39:55,188
responsible for laying out
the process of choosing the

883
00:39:55,192 --> 00:39:58,092
Democratic
presidential nominee.

884
00:39:58,095 --> 00:40:00,365
I made a reference to this
in the briefing the other

885
00:40:00,364 --> 00:40:04,164
day -- that every four years
or so, there is intense

886
00:40:04,168 --> 00:40:06,408
consideration within the
Democratic Party about the

887
00:40:06,403 --> 00:40:09,273
best way to choose the
Democratic nominee.

888
00:40:09,273 --> 00:40:12,613
I happened to work
at the DNC in 2004.

889
00:40:12,610 --> 00:40:16,480
And in 2003, there was an
established process with

890
00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:19,720
public hearings and reports
and Blue Ribbon panels all

891
00:40:19,717 --> 00:40:22,887
dedicated to taking a close
look at the process of

892
00:40:22,887 --> 00:40:28,127
choosing the Democratic
nominee for President.

893
00:40:28,125 --> 00:40:30,795
And there were a number of
things that were considered

894
00:40:30,795 --> 00:40:36,535
-- everything from the role
of superdelegates to the

895
00:40:36,534 --> 00:40:40,104
first-in-the-nation status
of both Iowa and New Hampshire.

896
00:40:40,104 --> 00:40:42,104
There was a discussion about
whether or not primaries

897
00:40:42,106 --> 00:40:45,206
should be organized
on a regional basis.

898
00:40:45,209 --> 00:40:53,349
So there are lots of ideas
for ways to change the

899
00:40:53,350 --> 00:40:55,350
process of choosing the
Democratic nominee.

900
00:40:55,352 --> 00:40:57,922
I think we would all
acknowledge that it's rather

901
00:40:57,922 --> 00:41:01,462
peculiar process that both
parties are engaged in.

902
00:41:01,458 --> 00:41:06,498
But I think what's
important, what both Senator

903
00:41:06,497 --> 00:41:09,037
Sanders and Secretary
Clinton acknowledged, is

904
00:41:09,033 --> 00:41:11,803
that they knew what the
rules were when they signed up.

905
00:41:11,802 --> 00:41:14,502
They knew exactly what role
superdelegates would play in

906
00:41:14,505 --> 00:41:16,675
this process.

907
00:41:16,674 --> 00:41:19,344
But look, if the process
wants to engage in another

908
00:41:19,343 --> 00:41:21,883
process to consider making
changes, that's something

909
00:41:21,879 --> 00:41:24,619
that party
officials should do.

910
00:41:24,615 --> 00:41:26,015
The Press: Can you say a
little bit about why the

911
00:41:26,016 --> 00:41:29,356
first joint campaign will
take place in Green Bay?

912
00:41:29,353 --> 00:41:34,163
Where does that fit within
in your strategy going forward?

913
00:41:34,158 --> 00:41:35,728
Mr. Earnest: Well, to be
clear, that's Secretary

914
00:41:35,726 --> 00:41:37,726
Clinton's strategy, so I
think I'd mostly let her

915
00:41:37,728 --> 00:41:38,728
campaign talk about it.

916
00:41:38,729 --> 00:41:43,269
But I would just observe
that President Obama has won

917
00:41:43,267 --> 00:41:46,367
two presidential campaigns
over the last eight years,

918
00:41:46,370 --> 00:41:48,440
and he won the state of
Wisconsin both times.

919
00:41:48,439 --> 00:41:51,079
So he's certainly got some
influence and a following

920
00:41:51,075 --> 00:41:52,715
in Wisconsin.

921
00:41:52,710 --> 00:41:53,680
Cheryl.

922
00:41:53,677 --> 00:41:54,617
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

923
00:41:54,612 --> 00:41:56,852
So the President has said he
appreciates Senator Sanders

924
00:41:56,847 --> 00:42:03,457
bringing up the special
interest influence in politics.

925
00:42:03,454 --> 00:42:06,554
Can President Obama do
anything about campaign

926
00:42:06,557 --> 00:42:09,357
finance reform in his
remaining months in office?

927
00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:12,560
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
I don't have any executive

928
00:42:12,563 --> 00:42:17,103
orders or policy
announcements or anything to

929
00:42:17,101 --> 00:42:19,701
put forward today.

930
00:42:19,703 --> 00:42:21,743
The President has put
forward a couple of ideas

931
00:42:21,739 --> 00:42:26,709
for what would bring
greater transparency to our

932
00:42:26,710 --> 00:42:27,980
political process.

933
00:42:27,978 --> 00:42:29,748
The President is obviously
an enthusiastic supporter of

934
00:42:29,747 --> 00:42:31,547
the DISCLOSE Act.

935
00:42:31,548 --> 00:42:33,788
This is a proposal that was
put forward by Democrats in

936
00:42:33,784 --> 00:42:37,754
Congress that would bring
much-needed transparency to

937
00:42:37,755 --> 00:42:44,525
the financing of political
campaigns in the United States.

938
00:42:44,528 --> 00:42:46,598
For some reason, Republicans
don't seem to support

939
00:42:46,597 --> 00:42:47,997
that principle.

940
00:42:47,998 --> 00:42:52,438
The President has in the
State of the Union address

941
00:42:52,436 --> 00:42:57,146
expressed his concern about
the impact of the Citizens

942
00:42:57,141 --> 00:43:00,811
United decision on the
financing of American elections.

943
00:43:00,811 --> 00:43:04,811
And it's why the President
has speculated that what may

944
00:43:04,815 --> 00:43:09,185
be necessary is actually a
rather painstaking process

945
00:43:09,186 --> 00:43:12,156
of amending our Constitution
to make clear certain

946
00:43:12,156 --> 00:43:18,096
principles about the
importance of transparency

947
00:43:18,095 --> 00:43:21,295
in our elections and how
the American people and our

948
00:43:21,298 --> 00:43:23,138
political process would
benefit from

949
00:43:23,133 --> 00:43:25,733
greater transparency.

950
00:43:25,736 --> 00:43:26,936
Peter.

951
00:43:26,937 --> 00:43:28,677
The Press: When did
President Obama first

952
00:43:28,672 --> 00:43:30,142
communicate to Secretary
Clinton that he would be

953
00:43:30,140 --> 00:43:31,180
endorsing her campaign?

954
00:43:31,175 --> 00:43:33,175
Did it take place in that
phone conversation on Tuesday?

955
00:43:33,177 --> 00:43:35,277
Mr. Earnest: Well, I don't
have details of their

956
00:43:35,279 --> 00:43:36,719
conversations to go into.

957
00:43:36,714 --> 00:43:39,554
Obviously, the President did
have an opportunity to make

958
00:43:39,550 --> 00:43:43,950
a congratulatory call
to Secretary Clinton.

959
00:43:43,954 --> 00:43:45,954
What's also true is that
the President's political

960
00:43:45,956 --> 00:43:48,496
director, David Simas, is
somebody who is principally

961
00:43:48,492 --> 00:43:52,692
responsible for managing
the lines of communication

962
00:43:52,696 --> 00:43:56,096
between the White House and
the individual campaigns.

963
00:43:56,100 --> 00:43:58,800
So he certainly
played the core role.

964
00:43:58,802 --> 00:44:01,942
That's the role that's
ascribed for him.

965
00:44:01,939 --> 00:44:04,709
And he played that role of
communicating with both

966
00:44:04,708 --> 00:44:08,448
campaigns to ensure that
nobody was surprised and

967
00:44:08,445 --> 00:44:10,445
that this was reasonably
well-organized.

968
00:44:10,447 --> 00:44:12,417
The Press: To be clear, he
would have taped it that day?

969
00:44:12,416 --> 00:44:14,416
So by the time they spoke,
the tape would already be in

970
00:44:14,418 --> 00:44:15,418
the can, right?

971
00:44:15,419 --> 00:44:17,759
Mr. Earnest: The President
did tape the video prior to

972
00:44:17,755 --> 00:44:19,755
placing his phone call to
President Clinton on

973
00:44:19,757 --> 00:44:20,757
Tuesday evening.

974
00:44:20,758 --> 00:44:22,758
The Press: For Bernie
Sanders supporters who say,

975
00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:24,760
hey, all he wanted was to be
able to give Americans the

976
00:44:24,762 --> 00:44:26,762
choice without President
Obama tipping the scales

977
00:44:26,764 --> 00:44:29,404
until every American had had
a chance to vote, they'll

978
00:44:29,400 --> 00:44:32,200
say, why couldn't the guy
have just waited until after

979
00:44:32,202 --> 00:44:33,842
Tuesday in Washington, D.C?

980
00:44:33,837 --> 00:44:35,407
What do you say to the
Sanders folks who say, why

981
00:44:35,406 --> 00:44:37,406
didn't he just give
us a few more days?

982
00:44:37,408 --> 00:44:39,408
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
I think I'd say a couple

983
00:44:39,410 --> 00:44:40,410
of things.

984
00:44:40,411 --> 00:44:42,411
The first is, I think
this is an indication of

985
00:44:42,413 --> 00:44:44,413
President Obama's enthusiasm
to get engaged in the

986
00:44:44,415 --> 00:44:46,415
general election and be
supportive of the

987
00:44:46,417 --> 00:44:47,347
Democratic nominee.

988
00:44:47,351 --> 00:44:48,581
The stakes are high.

989
00:44:48,585 --> 00:44:50,655
We do have a presumptive
Democratic nominee based on

990
00:44:50,654 --> 00:44:53,624
calculations that have been
conducted by your news

991
00:44:53,624 --> 00:44:55,494
organization
and many others.

992
00:44:55,492 --> 00:44:57,532
And the President is
enthusiastic about Secretary

993
00:44:57,528 --> 00:44:59,468
Clinton, based on this own
personal relationship with

994
00:44:59,463 --> 00:45:03,863
her, but also watching
on her in action on the

995
00:45:03,867 --> 00:45:05,867
campaign trail and in
serving as Secretary of State.

996
00:45:05,869 --> 00:45:07,869
But, look, Senator Sanders
said it more authoritatively

997
00:45:07,871 --> 00:45:11,041
than I can about how deeply
he respected President Obama

998
00:45:11,041 --> 00:45:14,641
and Vice President Biden
not weighing in and keeping

999
00:45:14,645 --> 00:45:17,415
their commitment to allow
Democratic voters across the

1000
00:45:17,414 --> 00:45:19,814
country to make a decision
about who should represent

1001
00:45:19,817 --> 00:45:21,817
our party in the
general election.

1002
00:45:21,819 --> 00:45:25,789
And we now know that
Secretary Clinton has gotten

1003
00:45:25,789 --> 00:45:27,989
a majority of delegates that
will be voting on the party

1004
00:45:27,991 --> 00:45:28,991
nominee in Philadelphia.

1005
00:45:28,992 --> 00:45:30,992
The Press: Is the First
Lady traveling with

1006
00:45:30,994 --> 00:45:31,994
him on Wednesday?

1007
00:45:31,995 --> 00:45:33,695
Mr. Earnest: I don't
believe that she is, no.

1008
00:45:33,697 --> 00:45:37,967
The Press: And I guess
beyond that -- there was one

1009
00:45:37,968 --> 00:45:39,138
other thing I was going to
tell you, but I think I

1010
00:45:39,136 --> 00:45:39,836
forgot it.

1011
00:45:39,837 --> 00:45:40,607
Mr. Earnest:

1012
00:45:40,604 --> 00:45:41,634
(laughter)

1013
00:45:41,638 --> 00:45:42,838
Well, I'll come back to
you if it occurs to you.

1014
00:45:42,840 --> 00:45:44,010
The Press: I think
it'll be a good one.

1015
00:45:44,007 --> 00:45:44,777
Mr. Earnest:
Okay, sounds good.

1016
00:45:44,775 --> 00:45:45,605
Carol.

1017
00:45:45,609 --> 00:45:46,339
The Press: He
yields the balance.

1018
00:45:46,343 --> 00:45:48,283
(laughter)

1019
00:45:48,278 --> 00:45:49,418
Mr. Earnest: We'll go
to the gentlelady from

1020
00:45:49,413 --> 00:45:51,013
Pennsylvania, Ms. Lee.

1021
00:45:51,014 --> 00:45:52,254
The Press: You should
feel free to interrupt.

1022
00:45:52,249 --> 00:45:54,589
(laughter)

1023
00:45:54,585 --> 00:45:57,125
Did the President come away
from the Sanders meeting

1024
00:45:57,121 --> 00:46:00,361
with a commitment or at
least the belief that there

1025
00:46:00,357 --> 00:46:03,697
will not be any
confrontation or

1026
00:46:03,694 --> 00:46:05,234
contested convention?

1027
00:46:05,229 --> 00:46:08,269
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
the President came away from

1028
00:46:08,265 --> 00:46:12,135
his conversation feeling
quite good about it.

1029
00:46:12,136 --> 00:46:15,706
Again, I think this was
evident from what all of you

1030
00:46:15,706 --> 00:46:19,446
were able to see from
their interaction on

1031
00:46:19,443 --> 00:46:21,613
the Colonnade.

1032
00:46:21,612 --> 00:46:26,312
And I think, again, I think
Senator Sanders said it best

1033
00:46:26,316 --> 00:46:28,186
out in the driveway here.

1034
00:46:28,185 --> 00:46:33,655
He's enormously appreciative
of the way that President

1035
00:46:33,657 --> 00:46:35,757
Obama and Vice President
Biden conducted themselves

1036
00:46:35,759 --> 00:46:38,129
in the context
of the primary.

1037
00:46:38,128 --> 00:46:40,768
And Senator Sanders made
clear that there are a set

1038
00:46:40,764 --> 00:46:43,234
of principles and priorities
that he's going to continue

1039
00:46:43,233 --> 00:46:45,373
to fight for, including in
the context of the

1040
00:46:45,369 --> 00:46:46,369
general election.

1041
00:46:46,370 --> 00:46:52,710
And I think based on Senator
Sanders's comments about the

1042
00:46:52,709 --> 00:46:56,709
Republican nominee, it's
clear that he understands

1043
00:46:56,713 --> 00:46:57,983
the stakes in this election.

1044
00:46:57,981 --> 00:46:59,981
President Obama certainly
understands the stakes in

1045
00:46:59,983 --> 00:47:00,983
this election.

1046
00:47:00,984 --> 00:47:02,954
You've heard him talk about
that in a number of places,

1047
00:47:02,953 --> 00:47:03,953
including in Elkhart.

1048
00:47:03,954 --> 00:47:08,694
So Senator Sanders has
earned the right to make his

1049
00:47:08,692 --> 00:47:12,292
own decisions about his
campaign on a timeframe of

1050
00:47:12,296 --> 00:47:13,296
his choosing.

1051
00:47:13,297 --> 00:47:16,337
But the President came
away from the conversation

1052
00:47:16,333 --> 00:47:17,803
feeling quite good about it.

1053
00:47:17,801 --> 00:47:19,741
The Press: On a
different topic.

1054
00:47:19,736 --> 00:47:22,036
The other day, your
statement of administration

1055
00:47:22,039 --> 00:47:26,209
policy on the NDAA, the
language on the Gitmo

1056
00:47:26,210 --> 00:47:29,580
provisions was a little
stronger than usual, and it

1057
00:47:29,580 --> 00:47:32,150
said that the President --
that the White House would

1058
00:47:32,149 --> 00:47:34,849
treat those provisions
as consistent with the

1059
00:47:34,851 --> 00:47:36,791
President's
constitutional authority.

1060
00:47:36,787 --> 00:47:38,227
Should we interpret that
to mean that he will just

1061
00:47:38,222 --> 00:47:39,852
ignore them?

1062
00:47:39,856 --> 00:47:41,326
Mr. Earnest: I haven't had a
detailed conversation with

1063
00:47:41,325 --> 00:47:45,265
our lawyers about that
language, so why don't we

1064
00:47:45,262 --> 00:47:47,102
take a look at that and
we'll follow up with you.

1065
00:47:47,097 --> 00:47:47,667
I just want to I just want
to make sure I give you a

1066
00:47:47,664 --> 00:47:48,564
good steer.

1067
00:47:48,565 --> 00:47:51,005
I suspect that the language
was chosen quite carefully

1068
00:47:51,001 --> 00:47:52,371
for a reason.

1069
00:47:52,369 --> 00:47:53,539
I just want to make sure I
can help you understand

1070
00:47:53,537 --> 00:47:54,977
that correctly.

1071
00:47:54,972 --> 00:47:56,402
John, nice to see you.

1072
00:47:56,406 --> 00:47:57,576
The Press: Thank you.

1073
00:47:57,574 --> 00:48:00,374
Following up on Carol's
question about the Sanders

1074
00:48:00,377 --> 00:48:02,177
fight on, he also talks
about those issues and

1075
00:48:02,179 --> 00:48:05,649
principles of fighting for
them in Philadelphia, at

1076
00:48:05,649 --> 00:48:06,619
the convention.

1077
00:48:06,617 --> 00:48:08,817
What's your understanding
of what that means?

1078
00:48:08,819 --> 00:48:10,049
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
I'll let Senator Sanders

1079
00:48:10,053 --> 00:48:10,883
explain it.

1080
00:48:10,887 --> 00:48:13,987
But I think Secretary
Clinton has indicated that

1081
00:48:13,991 --> 00:48:16,091
she believes that those are
priorities worth fighting

1082
00:48:16,093 --> 00:48:17,493
for, as well.

1083
00:48:17,494 --> 00:48:20,834
And I'm not sure the
Republican nominee has

1084
00:48:20,831 --> 00:48:23,801
indicated as much.

1085
00:48:23,800 --> 00:48:28,140
So again, I think the case
that I have been making for

1086
00:48:28,138 --> 00:48:29,738
quite some time now, and
President Obama has been

1087
00:48:29,740 --> 00:48:33,340
making for quite some time
now, is that the Democratic

1088
00:48:33,343 --> 00:48:35,683
Party is united around a
core set of principles.

1089
00:48:35,679 --> 00:48:39,079
And despite some admittedly
significant stylistic

1090
00:48:39,082 --> 00:48:42,452
differences between the two
candidates, their platforms

1091
00:48:42,452 --> 00:48:47,822
and their priorities are
drawn from the same values.

1092
00:48:47,824 --> 00:48:49,664
I don't think the same is
true of the

1093
00:48:49,660 --> 00:48:51,300
Republican candidates.

1094
00:48:51,295 --> 00:48:53,635
And I don't think the
debate that we see on the

1095
00:48:53,630 --> 00:48:57,870
Republican side of the
aisle reflects that, right?

1096
00:48:57,868 --> 00:49:00,738
There are even vigorous
disputes among Republicans

1097
00:49:00,737 --> 00:49:03,977
who are currently serving in
Congress about the wisdom of

1098
00:49:03,974 --> 00:49:05,544
a variety of approaches.

1099
00:49:05,542 --> 00:49:08,812
They've indicated some
discomfort with some of the

1100
00:49:08,812 --> 00:49:14,452
policies advocated by
the Republican nominee.

1101
00:49:14,451 --> 00:49:16,891
So the President has pointed
out that there is a pretty

1102
00:49:16,887 --> 00:49:20,857
stark difference here
between our two parties.

1103
00:49:20,857 --> 00:49:27,797
And I think what's important
-- and the real, most

1104
00:49:27,798 --> 00:49:33,368
important indicator is an
acknowledgement of the huge

1105
00:49:33,370 --> 00:49:35,870
stakes in this
general election.

1106
00:49:35,872 --> 00:49:39,072
And we've heard President
Obama talk about that at

1107
00:49:39,076 --> 00:49:42,376
some length, and we heard
Senator Sanders talk about

1108
00:49:42,379 --> 00:49:45,319
that on the driveway
just a couple hours ago.

1109
00:49:45,315 --> 00:49:46,555
The Press: And also on the
driveway he talked about

1110
00:49:46,550 --> 00:49:48,690
looking forward to meeting
with Secretary Clinton,

1111
00:49:48,685 --> 00:49:51,985
seeing how they could work
together to defeat Donald Trump.

1112
00:49:51,988 --> 00:49:54,658
And also on these issues on
Philadelphia, about what's

1113
00:49:54,658 --> 00:49:56,198
going to happen in
Philadelphia, is it possible

1114
00:49:56,193 --> 00:49:58,763
that the President could
get involved to try to

1115
00:49:58,762 --> 00:50:01,702
facilitate these discussions
and facilitate some sort of

1116
00:50:01,698 --> 00:50:05,098
agreements using his
auspices and good offices?

1117
00:50:05,102 --> 00:50:09,102
Mr. Earnest: Well, look,
obviously the President

1118
00:50:09,106 --> 00:50:12,006
knows both Senator Sanders
and Secretary Clinton well.

1119
00:50:12,008 --> 00:50:13,848
The President has got deep
respect for both of them,

1120
00:50:13,844 --> 00:50:16,884
and I think that respect has
been reciprocated in

1121
00:50:16,880 --> 00:50:17,750
those relationships.

1122
00:50:17,748 --> 00:50:21,288
So the President certainly
would be able to play a

1123
00:50:21,284 --> 00:50:25,954
facilitating role if one is
necessary, but we'll find

1124
00:50:25,956 --> 00:50:27,926
out if it's necessary.

1125
00:50:27,924 --> 00:50:29,224
Alexis, nice to see you.

1126
00:50:29,226 --> 00:50:30,456
The Press: Nice
to see you, too.

1127
00:50:30,460 --> 00:50:32,130
Josh, I have three
related questions.

1128
00:50:32,129 --> 00:50:33,229
Mr. Earnest: Okay.

1129
00:50:33,230 --> 00:50:39,440
The Press: Because we've had
presidential cycles where

1130
00:50:39,436 --> 00:50:41,976
the nominee on the campaign
trail, I just wanted to ask

1131
00:50:41,972 --> 00:50:45,972
you: The President's
enthusiasm, how will he be

1132
00:50:45,976 --> 00:50:49,516
using his time, say, between
now and the convention, in

1133
00:50:49,513 --> 00:50:51,043
addition to Wisconsin?

1134
00:50:51,047 --> 00:50:54,317
Are we going to see him
coordinating constantly with

1135
00:50:54,317 --> 00:50:56,957
the campaign to develop a
schedule both separate and

1136
00:50:56,953 --> 00:50:58,723
apart from the nominee?

1137
00:50:58,722 --> 00:51:01,862
What does he envision in
terms of a commitment of

1138
00:51:01,858 --> 00:51:03,258
time to help?

1139
00:51:03,260 --> 00:51:06,100
Mr. Earnest: Well, let me
start by saying that the

1140
00:51:06,096 --> 00:51:08,466
President's most important
job is Commander-in-Chief

1141
00:51:08,465 --> 00:51:09,835
and President of
the United States.

1142
00:51:09,833 --> 00:51:12,403
And over the course of the
last year and a half, you've

1143
00:51:12,402 --> 00:51:14,742
all heard me say on many
occasions that the President

1144
00:51:14,738 --> 00:51:17,608
is determined to squeeze
every last drop of

1145
00:51:17,607 --> 00:51:20,407
opportunity that he can
out of the days that are

1146
00:51:20,410 --> 00:51:24,820
remaining while
he's in office.

1147
00:51:24,815 --> 00:51:26,755
So that will be his
number one priority.

1148
00:51:26,750 --> 00:51:32,320
It always has been, and it
will be -- even though he's

1149
00:51:32,322 --> 00:51:35,322
quite enthusiastic about
the Democratic nominee.

1150
00:51:35,325 --> 00:51:39,225
That being said, when it
comes to strategic decisions

1151
00:51:39,229 --> 00:51:43,529
about the President's
campaign schedule, a lot of

1152
00:51:43,533 --> 00:51:45,133
it is going to be driven by
Secretary Clinton and

1153
00:51:45,135 --> 00:51:46,475
her campaign.

1154
00:51:46,470 --> 00:51:47,870
This is her campaign.

1155
00:51:47,871 --> 00:51:49,741
And President Obama has
indicated that he wants to help.

1156
00:51:49,739 --> 00:51:52,609
I'm confident that he'll
have some advice for

1157
00:51:52,609 --> 00:51:55,679
Secretary Clinton and
potentially maybe even

1158
00:51:55,679 --> 00:51:57,079
members of her team.

1159
00:51:57,080 --> 00:51:59,180
But they're the ones that
are making these decisions.

1160
00:51:59,182 --> 00:52:05,452
And the President is quite
enthusiastic about what he

1161
00:52:05,455 --> 00:52:06,995
can do to try to help.

1162
00:52:06,990 --> 00:52:08,860
The Press: My second
question is related to that.

1163
00:52:08,859 --> 00:52:12,599
Because the teams are so
woven together in terms of

1164
00:52:12,596 --> 00:52:14,736
having served at the White
House, having served in

1165
00:52:14,731 --> 00:52:17,101
previous administrations,
and the President joked

1166
00:52:17,100 --> 00:52:19,340
about, I have advice, maybe
they don't want to hear it,

1167
00:52:19,336 --> 00:52:23,006
but I have advice, right --
how is he going to give

1168
00:52:23,006 --> 00:52:23,906
that advice?

1169
00:52:23,907 --> 00:52:25,247
In other words, has he
talked to Secretary Clinton

1170
00:52:25,242 --> 00:52:26,742
along the way?

1171
00:52:26,743 --> 00:52:27,943
Has he talked to her?

1172
00:52:27,944 --> 00:52:29,684
You said he talked to
Sanders three times.

1173
00:52:29,679 --> 00:52:31,779
How often has he
been talking to her?

1174
00:52:31,781 --> 00:52:35,121
Is he just going -- does he
consider himself an advisor?

1175
00:52:35,118 --> 00:52:37,488
Mr. Earnest: No, he does not
consider himself an advisor.

1176
00:52:37,487 --> 00:52:39,727
But he certainly is somebody
who has got a lot of

1177
00:52:39,723 --> 00:52:42,223
relevant experience, and
he's somebody with a track

1178
00:52:42,225 --> 00:52:44,265
record of success.

1179
00:52:44,261 --> 00:52:47,801
So presumably, Secretary
Clinton and even Senator

1180
00:52:47,797 --> 00:52:51,137
Sanders, as he completes
his campaign, would be

1181
00:52:51,134 --> 00:52:53,404
interested in President
Obama's advice.

1182
00:52:53,403 --> 00:52:57,843
But both Secretary Clinton
and Senator Sanders have

1183
00:52:57,841 --> 00:53:01,211
plenty of advisors and
plenty of other people who

1184
00:53:01,211 --> 00:53:04,451
aren't advisors eager
to give them advice.

1185
00:53:04,447 --> 00:53:08,047
So the truth is the
President is eager to be

1186
00:53:08,051 --> 00:53:11,191
helpful, and he'll be
helpful in whatever way he can.

1187
00:53:11,187 --> 00:53:13,257
The Press: How often has
he spoken to the former

1188
00:53:13,256 --> 00:53:15,326
Secretary this week?

1189
00:53:15,325 --> 00:53:16,625
Mr. Earnest: Well, I know of
at least one conversation.

1190
00:53:16,626 --> 00:53:19,366
This is the election night
conversation when the

1191
00:53:19,362 --> 00:53:23,332
President congratulated her
for getting a sufficient

1192
00:53:23,333 --> 00:53:24,573
number of delegates to
clinch the

1193
00:53:24,568 --> 00:53:27,008
Democratic nomination.

1194
00:53:27,003 --> 00:53:28,943
I don't have any
conversations to read out.

1195
00:53:28,939 --> 00:53:30,739
You know that they've had an
opportunity to meet here at

1196
00:53:30,740 --> 00:53:32,980
the White House two or three
times over the course

1197
00:53:32,976 --> 00:53:34,416
of the campaign.

1198
00:53:34,411 --> 00:53:38,851
And in part that's because
they're friends, but in part

1199
00:53:38,848 --> 00:53:41,718
that's because they both
have a pretty keen interest

1200
00:53:41,718 --> 00:53:43,788
in the general election.

1201
00:53:43,787 --> 00:53:45,887
The Press: Do you know
whether they will be together?

1202
00:53:45,889 --> 00:53:48,959
She's supposed to
be in town tomorrow.

1203
00:53:48,959 --> 00:53:50,899
I just wondered if they're
going to get together

1204
00:53:50,894 --> 00:53:52,164
before Wisconsin.

1205
00:53:52,162 --> 00:53:53,562
Mr. Earnest: I'm not aware
of any meetings that are

1206
00:53:53,563 --> 00:53:57,133
planned for tomorrow, so I
don't believe they will.

1207
00:53:57,133 --> 00:53:58,533
So I suspect that the
next opportunity that the

1208
00:53:58,535 --> 00:54:01,335
President will have to see
Secretary Clinton in person

1209
00:54:01,338 --> 00:54:04,638
will be in Titletown
on Wednesday.

1210
00:54:04,641 --> 00:54:06,111
The Press: And the last
question is, some members of

1211
00:54:06,109 --> 00:54:09,579
the Cabinet have already
endorsed Secretary Clinton

1212
00:54:09,579 --> 00:54:12,749
for nominee, obviously
before she became the nominee.

1213
00:54:12,749 --> 00:54:15,849
What's the President's
direction to members of the

1214
00:54:15,852 --> 00:54:19,052
Cabinet who may want to
continue to be helpful or

1215
00:54:19,055 --> 00:54:24,525
may want to join now to be
helpful in terms of their

1216
00:54:24,527 --> 00:54:27,267
use of their time, how
they see fit politically?

1217
00:54:27,263 --> 00:54:29,003
What is his
direction to them?

1218
00:54:28,999 --> 00:54:33,599
Mr. Earnest: Well, he's got
a couple of directives.

1219
00:54:33,603 --> 00:54:35,943
The first is that each of
those individuals has a day

1220
00:54:35,939 --> 00:54:40,139
job that's more important
than the campaign.

1221
00:54:40,143 --> 00:54:42,143
Each of those Cabinet
secretaries is invested with

1222
00:54:42,145 --> 00:54:44,745
significant responsibilities
that has a significant

1223
00:54:44,748 --> 00:54:46,348
impact on the
American people.

1224
00:54:46,349 --> 00:54:48,819
And I've got total
confidence that all those

1225
00:54:48,818 --> 00:54:50,288
Cabinet secretaries
understand that that is

1226
00:54:50,286 --> 00:54:52,086
their first priority.

1227
00:54:52,088 --> 00:54:54,588
The second thing is that
there are rules in place

1228
00:54:54,591 --> 00:54:59,031
that govern the way that
government employees can

1229
00:54:59,029 --> 00:55:00,359
engage in political
activities.

1230
00:55:00,363 --> 00:55:03,333
And the President expects
that all of the employees in

1231
00:55:03,333 --> 00:55:06,233
the federal government, from
Cabinet secretaries on down,

1232
00:55:06,236 --> 00:55:10,406
will be conscientious about
following those laws, both

1233
00:55:10,407 --> 00:55:12,647
the letter and the spirit.

1234
00:55:12,642 --> 00:55:14,942
So that would be his
second directive.

1235
00:55:14,944 --> 00:55:18,384
But consistent with
the rather significant

1236
00:55:18,381 --> 00:55:22,991
requirements of their day
job, and consistent with the

1237
00:55:22,986 --> 00:55:26,286
laws that govern political
activity, the President

1238
00:55:26,289 --> 00:55:28,859
would leave it to individual
Cabinet members to make a

1239
00:55:28,858 --> 00:55:32,628
decision about how involved
they would like to be in the

1240
00:55:32,629 --> 00:55:35,899
upcoming election.

1241
00:55:35,899 --> 00:55:36,769
Mike.

1242
00:55:36,766 --> 00:55:39,036
The Press: Josh, in your
statement on Tuesday night,

1243
00:55:39,035 --> 00:55:42,335
you specifically said that
Sanders had requested

1244
00:55:42,338 --> 00:55:45,408
today's meeting, and then
just earlier you indicated

1245
00:55:45,408 --> 00:55:47,178
that his decision to
announce the endorsement

1246
00:55:47,177 --> 00:55:50,017
today might not have been a
surprise to Senator Sanders,

1247
00:55:50,013 --> 00:55:52,413
given the fact that they had
spoken earlier this week.

1248
00:55:52,415 --> 00:55:54,915
Would it be right to assume
maybe that Senator Sanders

1249
00:55:54,918 --> 00:55:58,358
may have requested the
meeting -- that you hold off

1250
00:55:58,354 --> 00:56:01,324
on the endorsement until
that meeting took place?

1251
00:56:01,324 --> 00:56:02,494
Can you talk a little bit
more how that meeting

1252
00:56:02,492 --> 00:56:03,392
came together?

1253
00:56:03,393 --> 00:56:05,033
Mr. Earnest: Well, I don't
think I'm going to get into

1254
00:56:05,028 --> 00:56:06,568
all the details of their
conversation, but the

1255
00:56:06,563 --> 00:56:13,533
President certainly was
interested in a conversation

1256
00:56:13,536 --> 00:56:15,636
with Senator Sanders.

1257
00:56:15,638 --> 00:56:19,008
Senator Sanders did suggest
and did request that

1258
00:56:19,008 --> 00:56:20,878
President Obama make time in
his schedule for the two men

1259
00:56:20,877 --> 00:56:22,247
to get together.

1260
00:56:22,245 --> 00:56:24,385
The President was happy to
do that and invited Senator

1261
00:56:24,380 --> 00:56:25,980
Sanders to come to the
White House to have

1262
00:56:25,982 --> 00:56:27,252
that discussion.

1263
00:56:27,250 --> 00:56:33,060
And the President felt that
it was appropriate and

1264
00:56:33,056 --> 00:56:37,656
respectful to withhold any
formal announcement of an

1265
00:56:37,660 --> 00:56:40,200
endorsement until he'd had
an opportunity to sit down

1266
00:56:40,196 --> 00:56:43,036
with Senator Sanders.

1267
00:56:43,032 --> 00:56:45,172
Obviously, late on Tuesday
night, Senator Sanders was

1268
00:56:45,168 --> 00:56:49,068
on the West Coast, and
President Obama had his own

1269
00:56:49,072 --> 00:56:51,572
busy travel schedule
yesterday, so this morning

1270
00:56:51,574 --> 00:56:53,314
was the first opportunity
that the two men could

1271
00:56:53,309 --> 00:56:54,379
get together.

1272
00:56:54,377 --> 00:56:56,047
And the President was
pleased to have

1273
00:56:56,045 --> 00:56:56,915
that conversation.

1274
00:56:56,913 --> 00:57:00,713
And Senator Sanders, as he
said out in front of the

1275
00:57:00,717 --> 00:57:03,357
West Wing a couple hours
ago, was appreciative of the

1276
00:57:03,353 --> 00:57:06,753
way that President Obama
handled his business.

1277
00:57:06,756 --> 00:57:07,856
The Press: To be clear,
you're not saying that

1278
00:57:07,857 --> 00:57:10,127
Senator Sanders requested
that he hold off on an

1279
00:57:10,126 --> 00:57:12,366
endorsement until they
had a chance to meet?

1280
00:57:12,362 --> 00:57:13,832
Mr. Earnest: I'm not aware
of any sort of request

1281
00:57:13,830 --> 00:57:14,530
like that.

1282
00:57:14,531 --> 00:57:16,431
I think Senator Sanders's
request was merely for an

1283
00:57:16,432 --> 00:57:18,302
opportunity to sit down with
President, and the President

1284
00:57:18,301 --> 00:57:21,201
was happy to oblige and to
arrange a meeting at the

1285
00:57:21,204 --> 00:57:22,804
White House today.

1286
00:57:22,806 --> 00:57:24,236
The Press: And then the Vice
President has been a bit

1287
00:57:24,240 --> 00:57:26,840
freer in commenting about
the race, but does this

1288
00:57:26,843 --> 00:57:28,283
endorsement extend
to him as well?

1289
00:57:28,278 --> 00:57:30,718
Or will he make his own
separate announcement?

1290
00:57:30,713 --> 00:57:33,183
Mr. Earnest: I'd refer you
to the Vice President's

1291
00:57:33,183 --> 00:57:36,083
office for any sort of
formal endorsement that the

1292
00:57:36,085 --> 00:57:38,485
Vice President would
choose to make.

1293
00:57:38,488 --> 00:57:40,558
The Press: And the last
question is: In the video he

1294
00:57:40,557 --> 00:57:42,657
talks about I think he's not
sure that anybody has been

1295
00:57:42,659 --> 00:57:44,899
more qualified
to be President.

1296
00:57:44,894 --> 00:57:46,764
Is he included himself eight
years ago when he said that?

1297
00:57:46,763 --> 00:57:48,263
(laughter)

1298
00:57:48,264 --> 00:57:49,734
Mr. Earnest: Well, I mean,
when you just take a raw

1299
00:57:49,732 --> 00:57:52,602
look at qualifications, I
think that's pretty obvious.

1300
00:57:52,602 --> 00:57:54,442
She served as Secretary
of State for four years.

1301
00:57:54,437 --> 00:57:59,007
She is somebody who has been
in the public eye for a

1302
00:57:59,008 --> 00:58:05,548
couple of decades, including
*four eight years as United

1303
00:58:05,548 --> 00:58:08,418
States senator and eight
years as First Lady.

1304
00:58:08,418 --> 00:58:10,318
So she is somebody who
brings a wide range

1305
00:58:10,320 --> 00:58:11,220
of experience.

1306
00:58:11,221 --> 00:58:13,691
And I cite her experience
as First Lady because she

1307
00:58:13,690 --> 00:58:17,960
traveled the world, and was,
particularly at the end of

1308
00:58:17,961 --> 00:58:22,601
her tenure, essentially a
diplomat for the United States.

1309
00:58:22,599 --> 00:58:26,039
So I think you'd be
hard-pressed to come up with

1310
00:58:26,035 --> 00:58:29,905
a presidential candidate --
with the possible exception

1311
00:58:29,906 --> 00:58:31,906
of people who had served as
Vice President before they

1312
00:58:31,908 --> 00:58:32,978
ran for President.

1313
00:58:32,976 --> 00:58:34,646
So somebody like --

1314
00:58:34,644 --> 00:58:35,444
The Press: Richard Nixon.

1315
00:58:35,445 --> 00:58:38,645
Mr. Earnest: Well, Richard
Nixon or George H.W.

1316
00:58:38,648 --> 00:58:41,418
Bush. Somebody who had served 8 years as Vice President.

1317
00:58:41,417 --> 00:58:41,847
The Press: Al Gore?

1318
00:58:41,851 --> 00:58:42,951
Mr. Earnest: Al Gore.

1319
00:58:42,952 --> 00:58:45,122
So you could think of some
other candidates who would

1320
00:58:45,121 --> 00:58:46,421
fill that role.

1321
00:58:46,422 --> 00:58:50,222
But with the exception of
sitting Vice Presidents, I

1322
00:58:50,226 --> 00:58:52,496
think you'd be hard-pressed
to come up with a candidate

1323
00:58:52,495 --> 00:58:56,035
throughout American history
who's got more experience

1324
00:58:56,032 --> 00:58:58,672
and is more qualified than
Secretary Clinton to

1325
00:58:58,668 --> 00:58:59,698
do this job.

1326
00:58:59,702 --> 00:59:01,242
Julie.

1327
00:59:01,237 --> 00:59:03,877
The Press: Not to belabor
the tick-tock, but just so

1328
00:59:03,873 --> 00:59:05,913
I'm clear, you mentioned
that the President talked

1329
00:59:05,909 --> 00:59:08,349
with Bernie Sanders
three times this week.

1330
00:59:08,344 --> 00:59:10,714
When was the first time that
he broached the possibility

1331
00:59:10,713 --> 00:59:13,113
and prospect that he was
going to endorse

1332
00:59:13,116 --> 00:59:14,486
Secretary Clinton?

1333
00:59:14,484 --> 00:59:15,654
Mr. Earnest: I'm not going
to get into the details of

1334
00:59:15,652 --> 00:59:17,892
the conversations, but
obviously he had a

1335
00:59:17,887 --> 00:59:20,757
conversation on Sunday, a
conversation on Tuesday, and

1336
00:59:20,757 --> 00:59:22,357
then the conversation in
the Oval Office today.

1337
00:59:22,358 --> 00:59:23,698
Those were the three
conversations that I was

1338
00:59:23,693 --> 00:59:24,963
referring to.

1339
00:59:24,961 --> 00:59:26,631
But I don't think I'm going
to get into the details of

1340
00:59:26,629 --> 00:59:31,069
exactly the nature of those
conversations in each day.

1341
00:59:31,067 --> 00:59:31,967
The Press: Okay.

1342
00:59:31,968 --> 00:59:34,338
And for today's meeting,
what was -- I mean, you

1343
00:59:34,337 --> 00:59:35,907
mentioned the President has
some relevant experience

1344
00:59:35,905 --> 00:59:38,405
here, given the campaign
eight years ago.

1345
00:59:38,408 --> 00:59:40,278
What was his advice to
Senator Sanders, if he had

1346
00:59:40,276 --> 00:59:42,976
any, about how to take the
coalition that he's built

1347
00:59:42,979 --> 00:59:45,019
throughout the campaign that
the President talked about

1348
00:59:45,014 --> 00:59:48,084
in the video, was impressive
and he congratulated him on,

1349
00:59:48,084 --> 00:59:50,354
and do something with it
that would help boost

1350
00:59:50,353 --> 00:59:52,153
Secretary Clinton's
candidacy?

1351
00:59:52,155 --> 00:59:54,295
I mean, were there specific
things -- are there specific

1352
00:59:54,290 --> 00:59:55,960
things that the President
thinks he needs to do now?

1353
00:59:55,959 --> 00:59:58,499
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
this is the best way that I

1354
00:59:58,494 --> 01:00:01,534
can describe it to you while
also trying to protect their

1355
01:00:01,531 --> 01:00:04,101
ability to have a
private conversation.

1356
01:00:04,100 --> 01:00:07,700
The relevant experience that
President Obama has is from

1357
01:00:07,704 --> 01:00:10,674
2008, in which he had
also run in a competitive

1358
01:00:10,673 --> 01:00:15,013
Democratic primary contest.

1359
01:00:15,011 --> 01:00:19,551
President Obama came out the
winner, but he benefitted

1360
01:00:19,549 --> 01:00:27,459
enormously from the
runner-up -- then-Senator

1361
01:00:27,457 --> 01:00:28,957
Clinton -- enthusiastically
supporting his general

1362
01:00:28,958 --> 01:00:30,598
election campaign.

1363
01:00:30,593 --> 01:00:33,063
And President Obama was
able to speak firsthand how

1364
01:00:33,062 --> 01:00:36,432
meaningful that was to
him personally and to his

1365
01:00:36,432 --> 01:00:39,932
campaign to have the strong
support of then-Senator

1366
01:00:39,936 --> 01:00:46,206
Clinton for his general
election presidential race.

1367
01:00:46,209 --> 01:00:48,509
And so that's the
perspective that President

1368
01:00:48,511 --> 01:00:52,851
Obama could share
with Senator Sanders.

1369
01:00:52,849 --> 01:00:55,189
Each situation is different,
but I think there are some

1370
01:00:55,184 --> 01:00:57,484
clear parallels here.

1371
01:00:57,487 --> 01:01:01,287
And I think it
was beneficial.

1372
01:01:01,290 --> 01:01:02,860
I'll let Senator Sanders
speak for himself, but I

1373
01:01:02,859 --> 01:01:05,899
suspect it was beneficial
for Senator Sanders to hear

1374
01:01:05,895 --> 01:01:07,535
President Obama's
perspective about how

1375
01:01:07,530 --> 01:01:09,330
meaningful that
endorsement was.

1376
01:01:09,332 --> 01:01:12,802
And you'll recall that
that endorsement from

1377
01:01:12,802 --> 01:01:17,542
then-Senator Clinton came
after she celebrated the

1378
01:01:17,540 --> 01:01:20,010
accomplishments
of her campaign.

1379
01:01:20,009 --> 01:01:22,009
She gave a big speech here
in Washington, D.C. -- I

1380
01:01:22,011 --> 01:01:24,381
believe it was at the
National Building Museum --

1381
01:01:24,380 --> 01:01:28,850
where she talked about the
18 million new cracks in the

1382
01:01:28,851 --> 01:01:30,221
glass ceiling.

1383
01:01:30,219 --> 01:01:32,089
And that was a genuine
celebration of the movement

1384
01:01:32,088 --> 01:01:33,958
and campaign that
she had built.

1385
01:01:33,956 --> 01:01:37,196
And the success of that
campaign was worthy of

1386
01:01:37,193 --> 01:01:39,693
enormous respect.

1387
01:01:39,695 --> 01:01:42,795
But shortly after that, she
traveled with President

1388
01:01:42,799 --> 01:01:45,599
Obama to New Hampshire and
they had an event together

1389
01:01:45,601 --> 01:01:49,301
where her presence on the
stage alongside then-Senator

1390
01:01:49,305 --> 01:01:52,445
Obama was really important.

1391
01:01:52,442 --> 01:01:55,512
It didn't change everybody's
mind that day, but it

1392
01:01:55,511 --> 01:01:58,111
initiated a process where,
over the course of the

1393
01:01:58,114 --> 01:02:01,814
summer and fall, President
Obama and Senator Clinton

1394
01:02:01,818 --> 01:02:05,718
made a persuasive case
to her supporters that

1395
01:02:05,721 --> 01:02:09,221
President Obama was the
right choice to succeed

1396
01:02:09,225 --> 01:02:10,565
President George W.

1397
01:02:10,560 --> 01:02:14,200
Bush in office.

1398
01:02:14,197 --> 01:02:20,007
I think what's also true is
that then-Senator Clinton

1399
01:02:20,002 --> 01:02:23,942
announcing her support for
Senator Obama's general

1400
01:02:23,940 --> 01:02:29,450
election campaign didn't
diminish her status at all.

1401
01:02:29,445 --> 01:02:32,315
I think, if anything,
her status as a singular

1402
01:02:32,315 --> 01:02:35,715
political figure in the
Democratic Party and in the

1403
01:02:35,718 --> 01:02:38,258
country was enhanced.

1404
01:02:38,254 --> 01:02:44,524
And her performance on the
campaign trail, both in the

1405
01:02:44,527 --> 01:02:47,597
primary election where
they competed against one

1406
01:02:47,597 --> 01:02:49,337
another, but also in the
general election, where she

1407
01:02:49,332 --> 01:02:52,702
was giving voice to many of
the priorities that were

1408
01:02:52,702 --> 01:02:55,402
animating President Obama's
campaign, were part of the

1409
01:02:55,404 --> 01:02:57,974
reason that he chose her
to be Secretary of State.

1410
01:02:57,974 --> 01:03:01,644
So again, these
situations are different.

1411
01:03:01,644 --> 01:03:02,744
The candidates
are different.

1412
01:03:02,745 --> 01:03:05,745
The dynamics of the
race are different.

1413
01:03:05,748 --> 01:03:08,288
But I think there's some
relevant parallels to be

1414
01:03:08,284 --> 01:03:09,284
drawn, and hopefully
President Obama's

1415
01:03:09,285 --> 01:03:11,155
perspective was useful to
Senator Sanders as he makes

1416
01:03:11,154 --> 01:03:12,654
some important decisions
about the future

1417
01:03:12,655 --> 01:03:13,785
of his campaign.

1418
01:03:13,789 --> 01:03:15,659
The Press: So did he request
that Senator Sanders think

1419
01:03:15,658 --> 01:03:17,528
about -- actually think
about endorsing her and

1420
01:03:17,527 --> 01:03:18,857
doing it quickly?

1421
01:03:18,861 --> 01:03:21,731
Mr. Earnest: Look, President
Obama was deeply respectful

1422
01:03:21,731 --> 01:03:23,701
of Senator Sanders.

1423
01:03:23,699 --> 01:03:26,639
And because of the enormous
success of his campaign,

1424
01:03:26,636 --> 01:03:30,136
Senator Sanders is entitled
to the time and space that

1425
01:03:30,139 --> 01:03:32,279
he needs to make that
decision on his own.

1426
01:03:32,275 --> 01:03:34,245
The Press: And the timing of
the campaign appearance with

1427
01:03:34,243 --> 01:03:37,443
Senator Clinton -- or
Secretary Clinton next week,

1428
01:03:37,446 --> 01:03:39,616
is it a coincidence that
it's the day after the

1429
01:03:39,615 --> 01:03:42,255
D.C. primary is over, and
it's important for Senator

1430
01:03:42,251 --> 01:03:44,491
Sanders to compete in that?

1431
01:03:44,487 --> 01:03:46,727
Or is that something
that the President did

1432
01:03:46,722 --> 01:03:49,192
consciously, knowing that
Senator Sanders wants to be

1433
01:03:49,192 --> 01:03:51,192
able to be a factor
in that contest?

1434
01:03:51,194 --> 01:03:52,694
Mr. Earnest: For the
decision about the timing,

1435
01:03:52,695 --> 01:03:55,295
I'd refer you to the
Clinton campaign.

1436
01:03:55,298 --> 01:03:56,828
Lana.

1437
01:03:56,832 --> 01:03:58,772
The Press: You mentioned
a couple times that the

1438
01:03:58,768 --> 01:04:01,108
President and Senator
Sanders seemed to have a fun

1439
01:04:01,103 --> 01:04:03,043
time when they were walking
down the colonnade.

1440
01:04:03,039 --> 01:04:05,239
We saw them laughing, the
President even patted him on

1441
01:04:05,241 --> 01:04:06,011
the back.

1442
01:04:06,008 --> 01:04:06,978
What were they
talking about?

1443
01:04:06,976 --> 01:04:09,146
Mr. Earnest: I didn't talk
to him about that aspect of

1444
01:04:09,145 --> 01:04:10,685
their conversation.

1445
01:04:10,680 --> 01:04:11,610
The Press: You don't
know what the joke was?

1446
01:04:11,614 --> 01:04:13,184
Mr. Earnest: It was a
funny one, apparently.

1447
01:04:13,182 --> 01:04:19,852
But, look, I think -- I
suspect that based on my

1448
01:04:19,855 --> 01:04:21,955
observation and President
Obama's own experience in

1449
01:04:21,958 --> 01:04:24,258
having run a vigorous,
longer-than-expected

1450
01:04:24,260 --> 01:04:26,830
Democratic primary campaign,
that there's a little bit of

1451
01:04:26,829 --> 01:04:29,099
a weight that's lifted off
Senator Sanders's shoulders.

1452
01:04:29,098 --> 01:04:31,268
He's got some critically
important decisions to make.

1453
01:04:31,267 --> 01:04:33,707
But I think he can be
profoundly proud of the

1454
01:04:33,703 --> 01:04:37,603
movement that he's built and
the results that he has to

1455
01:04:37,607 --> 01:04:38,437
show for it.

1456
01:04:38,441 --> 01:04:41,841
And I think that would put
anybody in a good mood.

1457
01:04:41,844 --> 01:04:43,044
The Press: Donald Trump has
been trying to appeal to

1458
01:04:43,045 --> 01:04:45,785
Sanders supporters by asking
them to "get even with

1459
01:04:45,781 --> 01:04:47,681
Clinton" by supporting him.

1460
01:04:47,683 --> 01:04:49,453
How important is Sanders --

1461
01:04:49,452 --> 01:04:50,452
Mr. Earnest: That's quite
a campaign slogan, huh?

1462
01:04:50,453 --> 01:04:51,183
The Press: Yeah.

1463
01:04:51,187 --> 01:04:51,787
Mr. Earnest: "Get even."

1464
01:04:51,787 --> 01:04:52,857
(laughter)

1465
01:04:52,855 --> 01:04:54,795
The Press: Lots of slogans
coming out of this campaign.

1466
01:04:54,790 --> 01:04:55,960
Mr. Earnest: That will
be really inspiring.

1467
01:04:55,958 --> 01:04:56,828
(laughter)

1468
01:04:56,826 --> 01:04:59,096
The Press: How important is
Sanders's concession and the

1469
01:04:59,095 --> 01:05:03,865
timing of that to trying
to keep those Sanders

1470
01:05:03,866 --> 01:05:05,966
supporters enthusiastic
about the

1471
01:05:05,968 --> 01:05:10,608
Democratic nominee?

1472
01:05:10,606 --> 01:05:15,846
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
I'm not going to backseat

1473
01:05:15,845 --> 01:05:19,245
drive as Senator Sanders
makes these decisions.

1474
01:05:19,248 --> 01:05:25,158
So the unity of the
Democratic Party will be

1475
01:05:25,154 --> 01:05:28,954
important and important to
Secretary Clinton's success

1476
01:05:28,958 --> 01:05:30,998
in the general election.

1477
01:05:30,993 --> 01:05:36,133
And in talking about how
Secretary Clinton can

1478
01:05:36,132 --> 01:05:38,002
succeed in winning the
support of the 10 million

1479
01:05:38,000 --> 01:05:41,400
Democrats and independents
that supported Senator

1480
01:05:41,404 --> 01:05:45,274
Sanders in the race, Senator
Sanders is going to be an

1481
01:05:45,274 --> 01:05:50,944
enormously influential
voice and advocate to

1482
01:05:50,946 --> 01:05:56,016
his supporters.

1483
01:05:56,018 --> 01:05:59,718
But ultimately his decision
about all this will be

1484
01:05:59,722 --> 01:06:01,422
up to him.

1485
01:06:01,424 --> 01:06:03,364
The Press: Since it's being
reported on Tuesday, was the

1486
01:06:03,359 --> 01:06:05,899
plan always to release the
video a couple of hours

1487
01:06:05,895 --> 01:06:08,265
after the two men met
at the Oval Office?

1488
01:06:08,264 --> 01:06:11,164
Or did that meeting have an
influence on the timing?

1489
01:06:11,167 --> 01:06:14,837
Mr. Earnest: The rough
timing -- as you could tell

1490
01:06:14,837 --> 01:06:18,377
by a couple of changes to
today's briefing schedule,

1491
01:06:18,374 --> 01:06:20,914
the timing did shift a
little bit over the course

1492
01:06:20,910 --> 01:06:21,880
of the day today.

1493
01:06:21,877 --> 01:06:24,277
So, once again, I appreciate
your patience with that.

1494
01:06:24,280 --> 01:06:28,050
But the general timeframe
here is something that was

1495
01:06:28,050 --> 01:06:29,450
well-established.

1496
01:06:29,452 --> 01:06:30,882
The Press: And my last
question is about the

1497
01:06:30,886 --> 01:06:32,186
attacks in Tel Aviv.

1498
01:06:32,188 --> 01:06:34,528
What does the White House
make of Israel's decision to

1499
01:06:34,523 --> 01:06:37,793
suspend entry permits
to Palestinians?

1500
01:06:37,793 --> 01:06:39,293
Does the White House
find that an

1501
01:06:39,295 --> 01:06:40,525
appropriate response?

1502
01:06:40,529 --> 01:06:44,799
Is it too similar in some
ways to the presumptive

1503
01:06:44,800 --> 01:06:46,770
Republican nominee's
proposal to temporarily ban

1504
01:06:46,769 --> 01:06:49,509
Muslims from entering the
United States because

1505
01:06:49,505 --> 01:06:50,745
of terrorism?

1506
01:06:50,740 --> 01:06:53,040
Mr. Earnest: Well, let me
start by saying that we

1507
01:06:53,042 --> 01:06:57,512
offer our condolences to the
families of those who are

1508
01:06:57,513 --> 01:07:00,753
mourning the loss of loved
ones in a terrorist attack

1509
01:07:00,750 --> 01:07:03,550
in Tel Aviv yesterday.

1510
01:07:03,552 --> 01:07:07,862
This is violence against
innocent civilians, and it's

1511
01:07:07,857 --> 01:07:10,957
an outrage and something
that's worthy of

1512
01:07:10,960 --> 01:07:13,730
widespread condemnation.

1513
01:07:13,729 --> 01:07:15,799
The United States continues
to stand strongly with our

1514
01:07:15,798 --> 01:07:19,438
allies in Israel as they
confront a very difficult

1515
01:07:19,435 --> 01:07:22,675
security situation inside
their own country.

1516
01:07:22,671 --> 01:07:25,141
So we're going to support
them and we're going to

1517
01:07:25,141 --> 01:07:29,711
stand by them as they deal
with the challenge of

1518
01:07:29,712 --> 01:07:33,482
securing their country and
protecting their citizens.

1519
01:07:33,482 --> 01:07:36,152
But I don't have any comment
on the steps that they have

1520
01:07:36,152 --> 01:07:38,652
taken to try to do that.

1521
01:07:38,654 --> 01:07:39,824
Juliet.

1522
01:07:39,822 --> 01:07:41,762
The Press: In terms of
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, I

1523
01:07:41,757 --> 01:07:44,127
know you reiterated the
President's support for her.

1524
01:07:44,126 --> 01:07:46,626
Bernie Sanders has been
a sharp critic of her

1525
01:07:46,629 --> 01:07:48,899
leadership of the DNC, and
I'm wondering if you could

1526
01:07:48,898 --> 01:07:52,938
provide any insights for us
as to whether her leadership

1527
01:07:52,935 --> 01:07:55,635
came up in the context
of their conversation or

1528
01:07:55,638 --> 01:07:59,278
whether there's anything you
can say to the extent that

1529
01:07:59,275 --> 01:08:01,415
the President and Bernie
Sanders talked about

1530
01:08:01,410 --> 01:08:05,880
structural changes within
the DNC, beyond the platform

1531
01:08:05,881 --> 01:08:09,721
that could help reflect his
efforts to change the way

1532
01:08:09,718 --> 01:08:11,518
the Democratic
Party operates.

1533
01:08:11,520 --> 01:08:13,020
Mr. Earnest: Well, I don't
have additional details of

1534
01:08:13,022 --> 01:08:14,422
their conversation to share.

1535
01:08:14,423 --> 01:08:17,163
As I mentioned to James,
the President is deeply

1536
01:08:17,159 --> 01:08:19,959
appreciative of Debbie
Wasserman Schultz's service

1537
01:08:19,962 --> 01:08:21,802
as the chair of the DNC.

1538
01:08:21,797 --> 01:08:24,037
And I think her track
record, particularly as it

1539
01:08:24,033 --> 01:08:25,403
relates to the last
presidential election,

1540
01:08:25,401 --> 01:08:28,971
speaks for itself.

1541
01:08:28,971 --> 01:08:32,541
Over the last several
months, Senator Sanders has

1542
01:08:32,541 --> 01:08:37,911
expressed some frustration
and concern about the

1543
01:08:37,913 --> 01:08:41,313
process of choosing a
Democratic presidential nominee.

1544
01:08:41,317 --> 01:08:46,057
And he'll have to make his
decisions about how best to

1545
01:08:46,055 --> 01:08:48,755
pursue reforms
of that process.

1546
01:08:48,757 --> 01:08:50,457
But look, everybody knew the
rules when they signed up,

1547
01:08:50,459 --> 01:08:55,799
and Senator Sanders has
indicated that a desire to

1548
01:08:55,798 --> 01:08:57,938
change those rules in a way
that he believes would make

1549
01:08:57,933 --> 01:08:58,973
the process more fair.

1550
01:08:58,968 --> 01:09:01,268
And that's something that
will have to be considered

1551
01:09:01,270 --> 01:09:05,210
by Democrats
across the country.

1552
01:09:05,207 --> 01:09:06,577
Mark, I'll give
you the last one.

1553
01:09:06,575 --> 01:09:07,275
The Press: Thanks.

1554
01:09:07,276 --> 01:09:10,616
Josh, can you tell us why
Senator Sanders arrived at

1555
01:09:10,613 --> 01:09:14,783
the residence rather
than the West Wing?

1556
01:09:14,783 --> 01:09:16,123
Was it just for the
photo-opportunity?

1557
01:09:16,118 --> 01:09:17,418
Mr. Earnest: Yes.

1558
01:09:17,419 --> 01:09:19,459
(laughter)

1559
01:09:19,455 --> 01:09:20,585
The Press: Awfully short.

1560
01:09:20,589 --> 01:09:24,329
(laughter)

1561
01:09:24,326 --> 01:09:26,796
The Green Bay event on
Wednesday, is that a Hillary

1562
01:09:26,795 --> 01:09:28,695
Clinton campaign event?

1563
01:09:28,697 --> 01:09:30,167
Mr. Earnest: Yes.

1564
01:09:30,165 --> 01:09:32,505
It is a campaign event
in support of Secretary

1565
01:09:32,501 --> 01:09:34,871
Clinton's campaign.

1566
01:09:34,870 --> 01:09:36,640
The Press: Do any White
House staffers have to go

1567
01:09:36,639 --> 01:09:38,939
off payroll in setting
up the

1568
01:09:38,941 --> 01:09:41,341
President's participation?

1569
01:09:41,343 --> 01:09:43,883
Mr. Earnest: No.

1570
01:09:43,879 --> 01:09:48,049
Not that I'm aware
of, at least.

1571
01:09:48,050 --> 01:09:49,620
I'm going to have to jog
my memory from the

1572
01:09:49,618 --> 01:09:51,688
2012 campaign.

1573
01:09:51,687 --> 01:09:53,357
But there are regulations
that govern

1574
01:09:53,355 --> 01:09:54,325
political activities.

1575
01:09:54,323 --> 01:09:57,063
So there are members of the
President's staff who can

1576
01:09:57,059 --> 01:09:58,999
support him as he does his
job, and one of those jobs

1577
01:09:58,994 --> 01:10:01,294
is to be the leader
of a political party.

1578
01:10:01,297 --> 01:10:07,937
So there are narrow
circumstances in which

1579
01:10:07,937 --> 01:10:12,237
members of the President's
staff can assist him and

1580
01:10:12,241 --> 01:10:15,211
advise him as he undertakes
those activities.

1581
01:10:15,210 --> 01:10:18,010
The best example of that is
the President's political

1582
01:10:18,013 --> 01:10:21,883
director, David Simas, who
has been the principal point

1583
01:10:21,884 --> 01:10:25,054
of coordination -- again,
within the balance of the

1584
01:10:25,054 --> 01:10:27,554
law -- between the White
House and the relevant

1585
01:10:27,556 --> 01:10:29,256
presidential campaigns.

1586
01:10:29,258 --> 01:10:32,228
The Press: Have you got any
White House reaction to the

1587
01:10:32,227 --> 01:10:35,167
Chinese intercept of
the American aircraft,

1588
01:10:35,164 --> 01:10:36,334
reconnaissance aircraft?

1589
01:10:36,332 --> 01:10:38,972
Is this another one of those
incidents where you're just

1590
01:10:38,968 --> 01:10:42,408
going to lodge a complaint
through normal

1591
01:10:42,404 --> 01:10:44,574
military channels?

1592
01:10:44,573 --> 01:10:47,113
Mr. Earnest: We certainly
will raise our concerns

1593
01:10:47,109 --> 01:10:49,479
through usual
military channels.

1594
01:10:49,478 --> 01:10:52,478
But the Department of
Defense has mentioned this

1595
01:10:52,481 --> 01:10:57,551
directly that, back on June
7th, earlier this week,

1596
01:10:57,553 --> 01:11:08,093
there were two Chinese jets
that intercepted a U.S.

1597
01:11:08,097 --> 01:11:11,767
reconnaissance aircraft
that was operating in

1598
01:11:11,767 --> 01:11:13,637
international airspace.

1599
01:11:13,636 --> 01:11:16,976
The concern is that the
Chinese jets conducted that

1600
01:11:16,972 --> 01:11:22,842
intercept at an unsafe,
excessive rate of closure.

1601
01:11:22,845 --> 01:11:26,315
The initial assessment from
the Department of Defense is

1602
01:11:26,315 --> 01:11:31,625
that this intercept and its
unsafe nature appears to be

1603
01:11:31,620 --> 01:11:34,290
a case of what the
Department of Defense has

1604
01:11:34,289 --> 01:11:37,859
described as
improper airmanship.

1605
01:11:37,860 --> 01:11:40,030
And they arrived at that
conclusion because, based on

1606
01:11:40,029 --> 01:11:45,139
their analysis, there was no
other provocative or unsafe

1607
01:11:45,134 --> 01:11:48,304
maneuvers that
were executed.

1608
01:11:48,303 --> 01:11:50,803
So that's the analysis of
the Department of Defense.

1609
01:11:50,806 --> 01:11:56,346
So even though it was a case
of improper airmanship and

1610
01:11:56,345 --> 01:12:01,755
not otherwise provocative,
we still do raise these

1611
01:12:01,750 --> 01:12:06,020
concerns with Chinese
officials, because again, U.S.

1612
01:12:06,021 --> 01:12:09,061
aircraft was operating
in international waters,

1613
01:12:09,058 --> 01:12:10,328
consistent with
international law and

1614
01:12:10,325 --> 01:12:12,065
consistent with the
principle that the President

1615
01:12:12,061 --> 01:12:14,431
and Secretary of Defense
have articulated on a number

1616
01:12:14,430 --> 01:12:16,430
of occasions, which is that
the United States will

1617
01:12:16,432 --> 01:12:19,802
operate, fly and sail
anywhere that international

1618
01:12:19,802 --> 01:12:20,902
law allows.

1619
01:12:20,903 --> 01:12:24,573
That's just what our
aircraft was doing on June 7th.

1620
01:12:24,573 --> 01:12:26,713
The Press: Doesn't that mean
the administration does not

1621
01:12:26,709 --> 01:12:30,149
believe China was trying to
send any message to the U.S.

1622
01:12:30,145 --> 01:12:32,115
with this intercept?

1623
01:12:32,114 --> 01:12:34,854
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
in this case the assessment

1624
01:12:34,850 --> 01:12:36,320
from the Department of
Defense is that this was a

1625
01:12:36,318 --> 01:12:38,758
case of improper airmanship
and that there were no other

1626
01:12:38,754 --> 01:12:43,124
provocative maneuvers
that occurred.

1627
01:12:43,125 --> 01:12:44,825
The Press: And
one last issue.

1628
01:12:44,827 --> 01:12:48,867
Besides that of a proud
parent, will President Obama

1629
01:12:48,864 --> 01:12:52,304
be playing any role at his
daughter's commencement,

1630
01:12:52,301 --> 01:12:53,741
graduation tomorrow?

1631
01:12:53,736 --> 01:12:56,036
Mr. Earnest: You have
adequately summarized the

1632
01:12:56,038 --> 01:12:58,908
President's entire role
in tomorrow's ceremony.

1633
01:12:58,907 --> 01:13:03,647
So he will be there to see
his first-born cross the

1634
01:13:03,645 --> 01:13:05,045
stage and receive
her diploma.

1635
01:13:05,047 --> 01:13:07,187
And he and the First Lady
are enormously proud of

1636
01:13:07,182 --> 01:13:08,822
their daughter's
accomplishments.

1637
01:13:08,817 --> 01:13:10,157
The Press: Do you know
if he was asked to speak?

1638
01:13:10,152 --> 01:13:12,592
Mr. Earnest: I don't know
if he was asked to speak.

1639
01:13:12,588 --> 01:13:15,128
But if he were,
he would decline.

1640
01:13:15,124 --> 01:13:16,694
The Press: Because he's
going to be too overwrought

1641
01:13:16,692 --> 01:13:21,192
with emotion to him hear
it say it again and again?

1642
01:13:21,196 --> 01:13:22,366
Mr. Earnest: The President
has had an opportunity to

1643
01:13:22,364 --> 01:13:24,934
give three commencement
addresses this year, and

1644
01:13:24,933 --> 01:13:27,873
this is an opportunity for
him to not play the role of

1645
01:13:27,870 --> 01:13:30,270
commencement speaker but
rather to play the role of

1646
01:13:30,272 --> 01:13:32,712
proud parent, as
you described it.

1647
01:13:32,708 --> 01:13:33,678
The Press: Is
it bittersweet?

1648
01:13:33,675 --> 01:13:34,775
Can you address
what he asked?

1649
01:13:34,777 --> 01:13:36,377
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
President talked about this

1650
01:13:36,378 --> 01:13:39,518
a little bit with Mr. Fallon
on "The Tonight Show" that

1651
01:13:39,515 --> 01:13:42,085
will air tonight as well.

1652
01:13:42,084 --> 01:13:48,294
And I think for every parent
there's a sense that they're

1653
01:13:48,290 --> 01:13:53,000
enormously proud of their
child, pleased to see that

1654
01:13:52,995 --> 01:13:57,065
they've grown up healthy
and successful, but also --

1655
01:13:57,065 --> 01:13:59,265
yeah, it's a little
bittersweet to see your

1656
01:13:59,268 --> 01:14:00,838
child grow up.

1657
01:14:00,836 --> 01:14:02,776
My son is only two and there
are sometimes when I feel

1658
01:14:02,771 --> 01:14:06,641
myself a little bittersweet
about his growth.

1659
01:14:06,642 --> 01:14:08,182
The Press: Would you turn
down Walker's high school?

1660
01:14:08,177 --> 01:14:09,547
(laughter)

1661
01:14:09,545 --> 01:14:09,915
Mr. Earnest:

1662
01:14:09,912 --> 01:14:10,312
(laughter)

1663
01:14:10,312 --> 01:14:10,912
Yes.

1664
01:14:10,913 --> 01:14:13,583
Before I go, I also want to
acknowledge that today is

1665
01:14:13,582 --> 01:14:15,922
actually the last day of
Frank Benenati in my office.

1666
01:14:15,918 --> 01:14:19,558
So many of you have worked
with Frank for quite some

1667
01:14:19,555 --> 01:14:20,255
time now.

1668
01:14:20,255 --> 01:14:24,355
Frank has been a loyal
member of the President's

1669
01:14:24,359 --> 01:14:26,959
team for quite a while in a
variety of different roles,

1670
01:14:26,962 --> 01:14:28,762
including on the President's
reelection campaign,

1671
01:14:28,764 --> 01:14:31,464
including at the Office
of Management and Budget.

1672
01:14:31,466 --> 01:14:33,206
Fortunately, Frank
is not going far.

1673
01:14:33,202 --> 01:14:36,502
He's going to go and take a
senior position over at the EPA.

1674
01:14:36,505 --> 01:14:38,505
So, many of you may have an
opportunity to be in touch

1675
01:14:38,507 --> 01:14:39,537
with him over there.

1676
01:14:39,541 --> 01:14:40,881
But just at the end of the
briefing I wanted to take a

1677
01:14:40,876 --> 01:14:44,246
minute to acknowledge Frank
and his professionalism and

1678
01:14:44,246 --> 01:14:45,946
his service to the
President, to the country.

1679
01:14:45,948 --> 01:14:48,388
And we're deeply
appreciative for it, and

1680
01:14:48,383 --> 01:14:49,323
we're going to miss you.

1681
01:14:49,318 --> 01:14:51,288
(applause)

1682
01:14:51,286 --> 01:14:53,226
So with that,
thank you, guys.

1683
01:14:53,222 --> 01:14:55,762
I assume the applause -- let
the transcript reflect that

1684
01:14:55,757 --> 01:14:57,357
the applause was for
Frank, not for me.

1685
01:14:57,359 --> 01:14:58,929
(laughter)

1686
01:14:58,927 --> 01:15:01,197
The Press: The applause
was completely inaudible.

1687
01:15:01,196 --> 01:15:02,126
Mr. Earnest: Maybe.

1688
01:15:02,130 --> 01:15:04,470
(laughter)

1689
01:15:04,466 --> 01:15:05,536
In spite of that,
I'll be back tomorrow.

1690
01:15:05,534 --> 01:15:06,664
I'll see you then.