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Interview: Scott Pelley of CBS News 60 Minutes Interviews Joe Biden - October 15, 2023
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Joe Biden Person
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Scott Pelley Person
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Note Person
Note
Neutral
00:00:00-00:00:00 ( sec)
"[Scott Pelley of CBS News' 60 Minutes interviewed Joe Biden at The White House on Thursday, October 12, 2023 in the evening. CBS did not release an unedited version of the interview. The following is the transcript of the interview as it aired on 60 Minutes, including a 47-second segment that aired on 60 Minutes Overtime. Transcript and video courtesy and copyright CBS News' 60 Minutes.]"
1
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:00:00-00:00:26 (26 sec)
"[Intro] Rarely does a president confront so much peril; the catastrophe in Israel -- the war in Ukraine -- and no help from a paralyzed Congress. Late Thursday, we met President Biden at the White House. It had been a rough week and we could see it on him. Mr. Biden will be 81 next month. And he has said that when he's tired, his life-long stutter can creep back in."
2
Scott Pelley
Neutral
00:00:26-00:00:54 (28 sec)
"[Intro] But he wedged us into his schedule to express his commitment to Israel after the massacre of more than 1,000 civilians eight days ago. Twenty nine Americans were killed. Fifteen are missing -- and at least a small number of them are known to have been taken hostage. In a video call on Friday, Mr. Biden had this message for Americans in Israel whose loved ones have vanished."
3
Joe Biden
Slightly Negative
00:00:54-00:01:07 (14 sec)
"I'm saying we're gonna do everything in our power to find those who are still alive and set them free. Everything in our power. And -- I'm not gonna go into the detail of that, but there's -- we're workin' like hell on it."
4
Scott Pelley
Neutral
00:01:07-00:01:14 (7 sec)
"Why do you feel so strongly about speaking to these families personally on Zoom?"
5
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:01:14-00:01:34 (20 sec)
"Because I think they have to know that the president of the United States of America cares deeply about what's happening. Deeply. We have to communicate to the world this is critical. this is not even hum -- human behavior. It's -- it -- it -- it's -- it's -- it's pure barbarism. And we're gonna do everything in our power to get them home if we can find them."
6
Scott Pelley
Somewhat Negative
00:01:34-00:01:45 (11 sec)
"[Voiceover] Friday's hour-long call with 14 families included a father who told us the president answered desperate pleas with empathy and patience."
7
Scott Pelley
Positive
00:01:45-00:01:50 (5 sec)
"Is getting the American hostages back safely among your highest priorities now?"
8
Joe Biden
Somewhat Positive
00:01:50-00:02:05 (15 sec)
"Of course, it is. But it's hard to -- hard to make distinctions. It's -- most important thing is ending this brutality and to hold those who committed it accountable."
9
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:02:05-00:02:20 (15 sec)
"[Voiceover] To confront the 'brutality,' Mr. Biden ordered two aircraft carriers plus cruisers and destroyers to the region. There are about 900 U.S. troops in Syria -- on a counterterrorism mission since 2015."
10
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:02:20-00:02:28 (8 sec)
"Can you foresee U.S. troops in combat in this new Middle East war?"
11
Joe Biden
Leans Negative
00:02:28-00:02:36 (9 sec)
"I -- I don't think that's necessary. Israel has one of the finest fighting forces in the country. I guarantee we're gonna provide them everything they need."
12
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:02:36-00:02:43 (7 sec)
"Because of what we're seeing in the Middle East, is the threat of terrorism in the United States increased?"
13
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:02:43-00:03:07 (24 sec)
"Yes. I had a meeting this morning with the Homeland Security people, with the FBI, with -- for the Situation Room, for the better part of an hour to discuss how we make sure that we prevent a lone wolf and/or any cohi -- coordinated effort to try to do what was done in synagogues before, do what was done to Jews in the street."
14
Joe Biden
Somewhat Positive
00:03:07-00:03:12 (5 sec)
"we're making a major effort to make sure that doesn't happen."
15
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:03:12-00:03:44 (32 sec)
"[Voiceover] Saturday, October 7th, has been called Israel's 9/11. More than 1,000 Hamas terrorists from Gaza smashed through a border wall to commit mass murder -- families in their homes, crowds at a concert, people in the street. Israel is striking back with the largest bombardment of Gaza ever. More than 2,000 have been killed by Gaza's count."
16
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:03:44-00:03:59 (15 sec)
"Certainly, about 1,200 Israeli civilians were killed in the initial attack, but now Hamas fighters and Palestinian civilians are being killed in the counterattack. Is it time for a ceasefire?"
17
Joe Biden
Positive
00:03:59-00:04:27 (28 sec)
"Look, there's a fundamental difference. Israel is going after a group of people who have engaged in barbarism that is as consequential as the Holocaust. And -- so I think Israel has to respond. They have to go after Hamas. Hamas is a bunch of cowards. They're hiding behind the civilians. They put their of -- their -- their -- their headquarters where civilians are and buildings and the like."
18
Joe Biden
Very Negative
00:04:27-00:04:55 (28 sec)
"But to the extent they can separate out and avoi -- I'm conf -- the Israelis are gonna do everything in their power to avoid the killing of innocent civilians. Hamas is an Islamist terrorist group and the government of Gaza. Gaza is 25 miles long and averages 5 miles wide. Israel severely limits its economy so most Gazans are destitute."
19
Joe Biden
Very Negative
00:04:55-00:05:11 (16 sec)
"Now, Israel has cut off food, fuel, electricity and most water, and has ordered 1 million Gazans to evacuate to the southern half of Gaza. The U.N. warns of a humanitarian disaster."
20
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:05:11-00:05:26 (15 sec)
"There are about 2 million people in Gaza, as you know, Mr. President, 2 million people trapped. About half of them are children. Are you asking Israel to establish a humanitarian corridor in that area or get humanitarian supplies into it?"
21
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:05:26-00:05:47 (22 sec)
"Yes, our team is talkin' to 'em about that. And -- whether there could be a safe zone. We're also talking to Egyptians -- whether there is an outlet to get these children and -- and women out -- - into -- -out of that a that area at this moment. But it's -- it's c -- hard."
22
Scott Pelley
Somewhat Positive
00:05:47-00:05:54 (7 sec)
"You would like to see a humanitarian corridor that allows some of the 2 million Gazans out of the area?"
23
Joe Biden
Positive
00:05:54-00:05:55 (1 sec)
"Yes."
24
Scott Pelley
Somewhat Positive
00:05:55-00:05:59 (4 sec)
"You would like to see humanitarian supplies brought into Gaza?"
25
Joe Biden
Positive
00:05:59-00:06:00 (1 sec)
"Yes."
26
Scott Pelley
Leans Negative
00:06:00-00:06:06 (6 sec)
"So you do not agree with the Israeli total siege of the Gaza Strip?"
27
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:06:06-00:06:31 (25 sec)
"I'm confident that Israel is going to act under the measure -- the -- the rules of war. There -- there's -- standards that democratic institutions and countries w -- go -- go by. And so -- I'm -- I -- I'm confident that there's gonna be an ability for the innocents in Gaza to be able to have access to medicine and food and water."
28
Scott Pelley
Positive
00:06:31-00:06:35 (4 sec)
"Would you support Israeli occupation of Gaza at this point?"
29
Joe Biden
Somewhat Negative
00:06:35-00:07:09 (34 sec)
"I think it'd be a big mistake. Look, what happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas and the extreme elements of Hamas don't represent all the Palestinian people. And I think that... It would be a mistake to... for Israel to occupy... Gaza again. We... but going in but taking out the extremists the Hezbollah is up north but Hamas down south."
30
Joe Biden
Neutral
00:07:09-00:07:11 (2 sec)
"Is a necessary requirement."
31
Scott Pelley
Neutral
00:07:11-00:07:15 (4 sec)
"Do you believe that Hamas must be eliminated entirely?"
32
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:07:15-00:07:43 (28 sec)
"Yes, I do. But there needs to be a Palestinian authority. There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state. That path, called "the two state solution," has been U.S. policy for decades. It would create an independent nation next to Israel for 5 million Palestinians who live in Gaza and on the West Bank of the Jordan River."
33
Scott Pelley
Neutral
00:07:43-00:07:47 (4 sec)
"And you believe Israel would pursue that after what's occurred --"
34
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:07:47-00:08:10 (23 sec)
"Not now. Not now. Not now, but -- but I think Israel understands that a significant portion of Palestinian people do not share the views of Hamas and Hezbollah. Hezbollah is a powerful Islamist militia to Israel's north which is armed and trained by Iran. Iran also supports Hamas."
35
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:08:10-00:08:19 (10 sec)
"There's limited fighting already on the northern Israeli border, and I wonder what is your message to Hezbollah and its backer, Iran?"
36
Joe Biden
Neutral
00:08:19-00:08:24 (5 sec)
"Don't. Don't, don't, don't."
37
Scott Pelley
Neutral
00:08:24-00:08:26 (2 sec)
"Don't come across the border? Don't escalate this war?"
38
Joe Biden
Neutral
00:08:26-00:08:28 (2 sec)
"That's right."
39
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:08:28-00:08:31 (3 sec)
"Is Iran behind the Gaza war?"
40
Joe Biden
Leans Positive
00:08:31-00:08:37 (6 sec)
"I don't wanna get into classified information. But to be very blunt with you, there is no clear evidence of that."
41
Scott Pelley
Neutral
00:08:37-00:08:41 (4 sec)
"At this point, no evidence that Iran is behind any of this?"
42
Joe Biden
Neutral
00:08:41-00:08:54 (14 sec)
"Correct. Now, Iran constantly supports Hamas and Hezbollah. I don't mean that. But in terms of were they -- w -- did they have foreknowledge; did they help plan the attack -- the -- there's -- there's no evidence of that at this point."
43
Scott Pelley
Neutral
00:08:54-00:09:08 (14 sec)
"[Voiceover] The president is asking for billions of dollars for Israel and Ukraine. But Congress is paralyzed. Hard-right Republicans are obstructing the election of a speaker of the house."
44
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:09:08-00:09:15 (7 sec)
"Does the dysfunction that we've seen in Congress increase the danger in the world?"
45
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:09:15-00:09:32 (17 sec)
"Yes. Look, this is not your father's Republican Party. Thirty percent of it's made up of these MAGA Republicans who are maybe -- democracy is something I don't -- they don't look at the same way you and I look at democracy."
46
Scott Pelley
Leans Negative
00:09:32-00:09:38 (6 sec)
"Are the wars in Israel and Ukraine more than the United States can take on at the same time?"
47
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:09:38-00:09:57 (20 sec)
"No. We're the United States of America for God's sake, the most powerful nation in the history -- not in the world, in the history of the world. The history of the world. We can take care of both of these and still maintain our overall international defense. Russia's unprovoked invasion occupies nearly 20% of Ukraine."
48
Joe Biden
Very Negative
00:09:57-00:10:09 (12 sec)
"Hundreds of thousands have been killed or wounded. In an interview last month, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told us he could lose without U.S. aid."
49
Scott Pelley
Slightly Negative
00:10:09-00:10:16 (7 sec)
"How do these wars in Israel and Ukraine relate to the safety of the American people?"
50
Joe Biden
Very Negative
00:10:16-00:10:43 (26 sec)
"Overwhelmingly, they relate. For example, in Ukraine one of my objectives was to prevent Putin, who has committed war crimes himself, who -- from bein' able to occupy an independent country that borders NATO allies and is on the Russian border. Imagine what happens now if he were able to succeed. Have you ever known a major war in Europe we didn't get sucked into?"
51
Joe Biden
Somewhat Positive
00:10:43-00:10:53 (10 sec)
"We don't want that to happen. We want to make sure those democracies are sustained. And Ukraine is critical in making sure that happens."
52
Scott Pelley
Somewhat Negative
00:10:53-00:11:14 (21 sec)
"[Voiceover] Mr. Biden told us images of October 7th reminded him of the Holocaust -- which he has studied -- taking his family to the Dachau death camp in Germany. This is 2015, the man in the wheelchair is a Dachau survivor. Behind Mr. Biden is the president's granddaughter."
53
Joe Biden
Leans Positive
00:11:14-00:11:27 (13 sec)
"I want my children and grandchildren to fully understand exactly what happened and why you couldn't deny the carnage going on if you were living in Germany and in Europe."
54
Scott Pelley
Neutral
00:11:27-00:11:33 (6 sec)
"Why do you feel so strongly? What does Israel mean to you?"
55
Joe Biden
Very Negative
00:11:33-00:12:00 (27 sec)
"The Jews have been subject to abuse, prejudice, and -- and -- attempt to wipe them out for, oh, God, over a th -- thousand years. For me, it's about decency, respect, honor. it's just simply wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. It violates every religious principle I have and every way -- and every single principle my father taught me."
56
Scott Pelley
Leans Positive
00:12:00-00:12:22 (22 sec)
"[Voiceover] As we spoke to the president, his secretary of state was in Israel, his secretary of defense was in a NATO meeting on Ukraine. America's oldest president seemed tired from directing all of this. But he was very clear on what he stood for and how his policies, in his view, would see America through."
57
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:12:22-00:12:32 (9 sec)
"Mr. President, given these two wars and the dysfunction in Congress, are you sure that you want to run again?"
58
Joe Biden
Positive
00:12:32-00:13:03 (31 sec)
"Yes... because... I'm sure. Look, when I ran, I said, "The world's at an inflection point." The world's changing, but we have an opportunity to make it -- so, imagine if we were able to succeed in getting the Middle East put in place where we have normalization of relations. I think we can do that. Imagine what happens if we, in fact, unite all of Europe and Putin is finally put down where he cannot cause the kind of trouble he's been causing."
59
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:13:03-00:13:09 (6 sec)
"We have enormous opportunities, enormous opportunities to make it a better world."
60
Note
Neutral
00:13:09-00:13:09 ( sec)
"[The following segment aired as part of 60 Minutes Overtime. It did not air with the original broadcast.]"
61
Scott Pelley
Very Negative
00:13:09-00:13:16 (7 sec)
"Is the effort to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia now dead?"
62
Joe Biden
Slightly Negative
00:13:16-00:13:16 (1 sec)
"No."
63
Scott Pelley
Neutral
00:13:16-00:13:20 (4 sec)
"How can it survive what just happened?"
64
Joe Biden
Very Positive
00:13:20-00:13:51 (31 sec)
"The Saudis and Emiratis and other Arab Nations understand that their security and stability is enhanced if there's normalization relations with Israel, and so I think that there -- it's still alive. It's going to take time -- look, it's going to take time to get done. It's going to take time to move, but the direction of moving into the normalization makes sense for the Arab Nations as well as Israel."
65