♪ ♪ >> Tucker: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT," IN APRIL OF 2019. IT WAS BEFORE THE THIRD OR FOURTH ATTEMPT AT THE OFFICE, AT THAT MOMENT MOST AMERICANS THOUGHT THEY KNEW WHO JODEY ARRINGTON JODEYJOE BIDEN WAS. THEY WEREN'T FAMILIAR WITH HIS NEW FACE. TWO YEARS LATER, THEY APPEARED IN MIAMI FOR THE FIRST OF FIRST IMPORTED PRIMARY DEBATE AND HARD TO RECOGNIZE, PEOPLE WHO HAD KNOWN HIM. MADE IT LOOK LIKE A DIFFERENT PERSON. BUT MOST JARRING WAS THE FACT THAT HE DID NOT SOUND LIKE THE OLD JOE BIDEN. HE PROBABLY REMEMBERED THE BIDEN AS JOVIAL, IRISH CHARM ON THE BUCKET LIST. HE WAS FAMOUS FOR THAT. ON THE STAGE, CAME OFF AS REMOTE AND MUTED. AT TIMES AFRAID TO SPEAK TRIPPING OVER WORDS AND FORGETTING THEM. SEVERAL TIMES THAT CAMERA CAUGHT HIM STARING INTO THE MIDDLE DISTANCE. APPARENTLY ABSORBED IN MEMORY. WHEN BIDEN DID MANAGE, HE SEEMS HIGHLY ANNOYED. WHATEVER THE CAUSE, DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY VOTERS WERE NOT IMPRESSED, DROPPED TEN POINTS OVERNIGHT. THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN NEVER EXPLAINED EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO JOE BIDEN THAT NIGHT IN MIAMI. BUT WHATEVER IT WAS, HE NEVER GOT FIXED. HE CONTINUES. FROM THAT DAY UNTIL NOW, PROBABLY THE MOST AUTHENTIC FEATURE OF JOE BIDEN'S PUBLIC PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN HIS ANGER, WHICH SEEMS TO COME OVER HIM IN WAVES. WATCH. >> FOCUS ON THIS MAN, WHAT HE'S DOING, THAT NO PRESIDENT HAS EVER DONE. NO PRESIDENT. >> WHY WOULD I TAKE A TEST? COME ON, MAN! THAT'S LIKE SAYING TO YOU THAT BEFORE YOU GOT IN THIS PROGRAM YOU ARE TAKING TESTS FOR TAKING COCAINE OR NOT, WHAT DO YOU THINK -- >> I'M GOING TO TALK! HERE'S THE DEAL. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] FACT OF THE MATTER IS LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. >> THAT'S NOT TRUE. YOU ARE SAYING THINGS, YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. WHO SAID THAT? >> ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU SAID? I'VE GOT TWO WORDS FOR YOU, JACK. >> THAT'S A GREAT ASSET. ONE MORE QUESTION. WHAT IS STUPID... >> YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS. YOU'VE SEEN IT AND PEOPLE AROUND YOU, PEOPLE YOU LOVE. NOTHING IN POLITICS. WHAT YOU SAW AS A MAN WHOSE LOSING HIS ABILITY TO REGULATE HIS EMOTIONS. FLASHES OF ANGER ARE COMMON AMONG PEOPLE WHO ARE AGING, AMONG MEN, AND IT OFTEN ACCOMPANIES SENILITY. LOSING IT IS A FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE IN MY HEART GOES OUT TO ANYBODY WHO IS. DEEP SYMPATHY FOR ANYONE IN THAT POSITION INCLUDING JOE BIDEN. BUT BIDEN IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE SINGLE MOST VOLATILE MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. BIDEN IS LEADING THE U.S. TOWARDS WAR. IT'S FAIR TO ASSESS THE EFFECT ON THE REST OF US TO THESE EMOTIONAL CONDITION. IT'S NOT SIMPLY ABOUT AGE. BIDEN IS CLEARLY UNABLE TO SPEAK WITH PRECISION. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD HANGS ON YOUR EVERY WORD, WHEN YOUR WORDS CONSTITUTE AMERICAN POLICY AND YOU CAN CHANGE AMERICAN POLICY, PARTICULATE AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY BY SIMPLY SAYING SO, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU SPEAK THE WORDS YOU INTEND TO SPEAK BUT YOU DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY BECAUSE YOU ARE MAD AND SAVES THEM AND YOU DON'T MEAN BUT MIGHT THREATEN THE LONG-TERM INTEREST OF THIS COUNTRY. THREATEN THE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN OF THE REST OF US AND OUR FUTURE. BUT HE IS. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE'S DOING. IT'S NOT A PARTISAN ATTACK. IT'S TRUE. IF YOU DOUBT THAT IT'S TRUE, WATCHES PERFORMS JUST OVER THE PAST WEEK. ON THURSDAY FOR EXAMPLE, JOE BIDEN WOULD ASK HOW THE UNITED STATES RESPOND IF THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN UKRAINE. THAT'S A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION. IMPOSSIBLE TO GET TO THOSE, THEY RARELY RESPOND HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS FOR THE SIMPLE REASON. THEY DON'T KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES AHEAD OF TIME. SO THERE IS NO REASON TO RISK AMERICAN PRESTIGE OR TO TERRIFY THE REST OF THE WORLD BY SAYING THE WRONG THING. THEY DON'T. BIDEN HAD NO OBLIGATION TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. VERY FEW PRESIDENTS WOULD'VE ANSWERED BUT PETER TENDED ANSWER. HERE'S WHAT HE SAID. >> IF CHEMICAL WEAPONS WERE USED IN UKRAINE, WHAT THAT TRIGGER A MILITARY RESPONSE? >> IT WOULD TRIGGER A RESPONSE IN KIND WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE ASKING IF WE WOULD CROSS, WE WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION AT THE TIME. >> Tucker: HE'S CLOSING HIS EYES TO REMEMBER WHAT THE CUE CARD SAID. WHAT HE'S COME OUT WITH IS IF RUSSIA USES CHEMICAL WEAPONS, THE U.S. WILL RESPOND "IN-KIND." IF RUSSIA USES CHEMICAL WEAPONS, UNITED STATES WILL USE A CHEMICAL WEAPON. SOME NO AMERICAN PRESIDENT HAS SAID ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN YOUR LIFETIME. YOU GREW UP ASSUMING THE UNITED STATES WOULD NEVER USE CHEMICAL WEAPONS BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES IS NOT A ROGUE SET DOWN NEXT DATE. AARGH ROLL GLOBALLY IS TO SUPPRESS ROGUE STATES. AND YET IN A FLASH BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T REMEMBER THE CORRECT WORDS, JOE BIDEN, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, REVERSED 100 YEARS OF AMERICAN SECURITY POLICY IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR. THIS DID NOT ESCAPE THE ATTENTION OF IT OWN NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR WHO INSTANTLY RESPONDED BY RESTORING THE STATUS QUO OR ATTEMPTED TO. UNITED STATES HAS NO INTENTION OF USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS PERIOD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. FLATLY CONTRADICTING HIS BOSS, KNOWING HE WORKS FOR THE PRESIDENT, HE WANTS TO DO THAT, BUT JAKE SULLIVAN HAD NO CHOICE. HE WORKS FOR A MAN WHO CANNOT EVEN PRONOUNCE HIS OWN VICE PRESIDENT'S NAME CONSISTENTLY. AND YET IS IN CHARGE OF THE UNITED STATES AT ITS MOST DELICATE MOMENT IN OUR LIFETIMES. BUT BIDEN DIDN'T SLOW DOWN. HE KEPT GOING. THE NEXT DAY HIS ADVISORS ALLOWED HIM TO "RALLY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINE. AS CAMERAS ROLLED, JOE BIDEN INFORMED OF THE SOLDIERS THAT THEY WOULD SOON BE SENT TO UKRAINE. WATCH THIS. >> LOOK HOW THEY ARE STEPPING UP. LOOK HOW THEY STEP UP. YOU ARE GOING TO SEE WHEN YOU THERE, YOU ARE GOING TO SEE WOMEN, YOUNG PEOPLE STANDING UP IN THE MIDDLE IN FRONT OF A DANG TANK SAYING, I'M NOT LEAVING, I'M HOLDING MY GROUND. >> THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENT WAS OFTEN CRITICIZED, SOME TIME WITH JUSTIFICATION FOR NOT USING WORDS. YOU CAN'T JUST TWEET OUT ANYTHING. THAT'S THE CASE YOU HEARD FOR FOUR YEARS. IT WAS OFTEN ROOTED IN TRUTH. THE LAST PRESIDENT NEVER SAID ANYTHING THAT EVEN APPROACHES THE RECKLESSNESS OF WHAT YOU JUST HEARD. YOU ARE GOING TO SEE, WHERE IN UKRAINE, THEY ARE BORN IS GOING TO DEEP. THEY HAD NO IDEA, NETTED THEIR FAMILIES, NEITHER DID ANYONE IN UNITED STATES UNTIL JOE BIDEN SET IT LIVE. THE WHITE HOUSE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW. FOX NEWS REACHED OUT AFTER THOSE REMARKS AND NO ONE THERE, NO ONE IN THE WHITE HOUSE WERE AWARE THAT THOSE COMMENTS WERE CAUGHT ON TAPE. SO HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS ABRUPT CHANGE IN AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY? "THE PRESIDENT HAS MADE CLEAR THAT WE ARE NOT SENDING U.S. TROOPS TO UKRAINE AND THERE IS NO CHANGE IN THAT POSITION." FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THREE DAYS, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TO FLATLY CONTRADICT THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF. AND NOT ON A MINOR QUESTION. THESE ARE WRITTEN OFF AS A GAFFE. I GAFFE IS WHEN YOU MISPRONOUNCE SOMEONE'S NAME. UNITED STATES IS GOING TO USE CHEMICAL WEAPONS? THESE ARE NOT GAPS. THESE ARE SOMETHING ELSE. THEY ARE DANGEROUS. THAT'S FOR SURE. THE BEST THE WHITE HOUSE CAN DO IS TELL US THAT THE PRESIDENT BY SAYING HE SENDING AMERICAN TROOPS TO UKRAINE, HE IS REFERRING OUR POLICY OF NOT SENDING TROOPS TO UKRAINE. THANKS FOR THE CLARIFICATION. IT GOT EVEN WEIRDER FROM THERE. ONCE AGAIN COMPLETELY OUT OF NOWHERE, NO WARNING WHATSOEVER, AND APPARENTLY NO FORETHOUGHT, JOE BIDEN CALLED FORAGING CHANGE IN RUSSIA. WATCH THIS. >> A DICTATOR BENT ON REBUILDING AN EMPIRE WHO WILL NEVER ERASE PEOPLE'S LOVE FOR LIBERTY, BRUTALITY WILL NEVER GRIND DOWN THE WORLD. FOR GOD'S SAKE, THIS MAN CANNOT REMAIN IN POWER. >> Tucker: DOING HIS CHURCH HILL ROUTINE. WHEN THINGS AREN'T GOING WELL AT HOME, ALL PRESIDENTS TREAT -- HE COULDN'T STOP HIMSELF. "FOR GOD'S SAKE, THIS MAN CANNOT REMAIN IN POWER." JOE BIDEN SAID A VLADIMIR PUTIN. YOU PROBABLY DON'T LIKE HIM AND FOR GOOD REASON. OUR POLICY ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS TO TAKE BIDEN OUT, TO REMOVE HIM AS HEAD OF STATE. THE TO THIS IS HARDLY THE FIRST TIME WE'VE TANGLED. UNITED STATES YOU RECALL WAGED A PROXY WAR AGAINST THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT FOR 11 YEARS IN VIETNAM. NEARLY 60,000 AMERICANS DIED IN THAT WAR. AND YET NO AMERICAN PRESIDENT MENTION REGIME CHANGE AT THE KREMLIN. WHY? THEY WERE SOFT ON THE RUSSIANS? NO. RUSSIA HAS ABOUT 6,000 NUCLEAR WEAPONS. WHAT SAY WE ELIMINATED THE RUSSIAN HEAD OF STATE AND THAT COUNTRIES SOCIAL GOVERNMENT. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THOSE WEAPONS? LET'S SEE. IN IRAQ, SADDAM'S POK STYLE WENT INTO THE HANDS OF MILITIAS USED TO KILL AMERICANS. RUSSIA HAS A LARGE AND RESTIVE POPULATION OF ISLAMIC EXTREMIST AND WE THINK THAT IT'S POSSIBLE WITH NO ONE AROUND THE COUNTRY, WE HAVE NO CHOSEN SUCCESSOR TO PUTIN, IF WE DID THAT ONE OF THE 6,000 NUCLEAR WEAPONS MIGHT WIND UP IN THE HANDS OF SOME ANTI-AMERICAN TERROR GROUP AND BE USED AGAINST OUR CIVILIAN POPULATION HERE? A NUCLEAR WEAPON! IT'S NOT JUST POSSIBLE, IT'S LIKELY. AND THAT'S IF WE WERE TO SUCCEED IN KILLING PUTIN. WHAT IF WE DON'T? APPARENTLY IT'S NOW THE POLICY. THE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES INFORMED THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT THAT HE SEEKS ITS OVERTHROW. YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF, DOES HEARING THAT MAKE VLADIMIR PUTIN MORE OR LESS LIKELY TO USE A NUCLEAR WEAPON AGAINST THE UNITED STATES AND WESTERN EUROPE. HOW TO TRAP ANIMALS BEHAVE? THEY LASH OUT. DESPERATE PEOPLE ARE DANGEROUS PEOPLE, OF COURSE. SO WOULD BE IN THE INTEREST OF THE UNITED STATES AND THAT'S THE ONLY INTEREST THAT MATTERS FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, TO COOL THE RHETORIC A LITTLE BIT. OR WHEN YOU EMPLOY OVER SEEDED RHETORIC IS TO DO IT FOR A REASON, IN THE SERVICE OF A CLEARLY ARTICULATED GOAL THAT HELPS THE UNITED STATES AND NOT BECAUSE YOU ARE OLD, WHICH IS WHAT YOU JUST SAW. A GUY WHO JUST LOST CONTROL OF WHAT HE WAS SAYING BECAUSE HE WAS TOO MAD. IT'S ALL PRETTY OBVIOUS BUT NO ONE IN WASHINGTON HAS SPENT 30 SECONDS THEY CAN ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IF WE KNOCKED OFF PUTIN. OUR FOREIGN POLICY ESTABLISHMENT SPENT THE WEEKEND CONGRATULATING JOE BIDEN ON SAYING THE WRONG THING WHERE THEY COMPARED HIM TO RONALD REAGAN. WASHINGTON LOVES REGIME CHANGE. IT'S WHAT COMES AFTER REGIME CHANGE THEY'D RATHER NOT CONSIDER AND HAVE NO TRACK RECORD OF PULLING OFF. BUT FOR NOW, THEY WERE THRILLED. BILL KRISTOL COMPARED BIDEN'S THREAT TO DRAGON, TO TELLING GORBACHEV TO TEAR DOWN THIS WALL. RICK WILSON AGREED. "BIDEN DID TEAR DOWN THIS WALL FOR OUR ERA" FOR THE CLICHE, DUMB PEOPLE SPEAK AND THINKING CLICHES. FORMER WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT CBS NEWS MARK NOLLER SAID BIDEN WAS BETTER THAN REAGAN. TO HIS CREDIT FOR ONCE, THE WHITE HOUSE DID NOT RUN TOWARD THE APPLAUSE NOTE. APPARENTLY ADULTS ARE STILL WORKING THERE AND MUTELY TOLD US THAT BIDEN HADN'T MEANT WHAT HE TOLD US IN CAMERA, DIDN'T MEAN IT. THEY SAY THAT IT WAS ALIVE. THE PRESIDENT OF POTTER'S POINT, WE CAN DISCERN HIS POINT! HE SAID THAT THE PRESIDENT'S POINT IS THAT BIDEN CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO EXERCISE POWER OVER HIS NEIGHBORS IN THE REGION. HE WAS NOT DISGUSTING PUTIN'S POWER IN RUSSIA OR REDEEM CHANGE. IT'S NOT TRUE, BUT IT'S REASSURING TO KNOW THAT OUR POLICY REMAINS THE SAME. NEOCONS IN D.C. WERE HIGHLY DISTRESSED. CIA OPERATIVE RODNEY BARON WROTE THIS, THIS WOULD'VE BEEN BIDEN'S TEAR DOWN THE WALL MOMENT, BUT FOR STAFFERS WATERING DOWN THE MEANING AFTERWARD. A FEW HOURS AGO, BIDEN ONCE AGAIN STEPPED IN FRONT OF THE MICROPHONE AND REAFFIRMED THAT THE WORDS THAT ACTUALLY SLIPPED OUT OF HIS MOUTH THIS WEEKEND ARE ACTUALLY OFFICIALLY U.S. POLICY. HERE IS JOE BIDEN. >> DO YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAID, THAT PUTIN CANNOT REMAIN IN POWER, OR DO YOU REGRET SAYING THAT, BECAUSE YOUR GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TRYING TO WALK THAT BACK. DOES YOUR WORDS COMPLICATE MATTERS? >> YOU ASKED THREE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS AND I'LL ANSWER THEM ALL. NUMBER ONE, I'M NOT WALKING ANYTHING BACK. >> SO REGIME CHANGE IN RUSSIA IS NOW OUR POLICY. THAT'S WHAT THE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES HAS JUST TOLD US. AND AS HE DID, HE REVIEWED THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED WITH HIM, THEY SPEND ALL WEEK CORRECTING STATEMENTS THAT HE MAKES UP ON THE FLY AND HASN'T THOUGHT THROUGH IN ANY WAY. PURELY A REACTION OF, HEY, WOULD BE THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING? NO IDEA. WHEN EVERYTHING IS SUDDENLY AT STAKE THEM AND NEVER BEEN RECKLESSNESS AT THIS LEVEL AND THAT INCLUDES THE LAST PRESIDENT WHO WAS OFTEN ATTACKED FOR BEING RECKLESS. NOTHING SAID COMPARES TO THIS. FOX'S PETER DOOCY ASK FOR CLARIFICATION. JOE BIDEN REVEALED THAT HE'S COMPLETELY UNAWARE THAT HIS STAFF HAS BEEN UPDATING AMERICAN POLICY ALL WEEK AS HE CHANGES THAT "ON-THE-FLY." WATCH JOE BIDEN. >> ARE YOU WORRIED OTHER LEADERS IN THE WORLD ARE GOING TO START A DOUBT THAT AMERICA IS BACK IF SOME OF THESE BIG THINGS THAT YOU SAY ON THE WORLD STAGE KEEP GETTING WALKED BACK? >> PUTIN'S THE ONE WHO MADE LET'S WALK BACK. >> IT'S AND THE LIKE YOU TOLD U.S. TROOPS ARE GOING TO UKRAINE FOR YOU SOUND LIKE IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT YOU WOULD USE A CHEMICAL WEAPON AND IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU ARE CALLING FOR REGIME CHANGE IN RUSSIA AND WE KNOW -- >> NONE OF THE THREE ARE CORRECT. >> NONE -- >> NONE OF THE THREE ARE CORRECT. >> MR. PRESIDENT -- >> AND YOU INTERPRET THAT LANGUAGE THAT WAY... >> Tucker: WHAT'S GETTING... BERNIE SANDERS SCARED THE HELL OUT OF THE BANKS. DEMOCRAT PARTY SHORT-CIRCUITED HIS CAMPAIGN AND INSTALL JOE BIDEN. BIDEN SEEMED PASSIVE, THAT WAS A WELCOME RESPITE FROM THE LAST PRESIDENT, AND SEEING KAMALA HARRIS DOWN THE GLASS. NOBODY ANTICIPATED AT THE MOMENT THAT WE WOULD BE ON THE CUSP OF A WAR WITH A NUCLEAR ARMED POWER IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS. EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE NOW AND THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, SOMEONE WHO LITERALLY HAS NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON, WHEN HE DOES THIS, IS IT SCARY TO DESCRIBE THAT? NO, IT'S WORSE. BIDEN SAID THAT EVERYTHING HE HAS SAID FOR THE LAST WEEK IS TRUE AND NONE OF IT HAS BEEN CORRECTED BY PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR HIM. THE TRUTH IS JOE BIDEN HAS NO IDEA. JOE BIDEN HAS NO IDEA, HIS PUBLICIST SAY, WHEN HE GOES TO SLEEP. BIDEN STARTS WALKING BACK HIS OWN COMMENTS, SAYING THAT AFTER HE SAID HE'D NEVER WALK BACK HIS OWN COMMENT. NONE OF THAT OCCURRED. IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE ARE BEING MEAN TO THE GUY BY QUOTING HIM AND NO ONE WANTS THAT. NO ONE IS MAKING OF HIS AGE OR HIS DIMINISHED CONDITION. MOMENTS LATER, BIDEN DECLARED THAT NO REASONABLE PERSON WOULD THINK HE WANTS REGIME CHANGE IN RUSSIA. WATCH THIS, IF YOU CAN STAND IT. >> IT'S RIDICULOUS! NOBODY BELIEVES WE ARE GOING TO TAKE DOWN... I WAS TALKING ABOUT TAKING DOWN PUTIN. NOBODY BELIEVES THAT. >> JOKE IS OVER. TOO MUCH IS AT STAKE. IF THERE EVER WAS A TIME, IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME TO INVOKE THE 20TH AMENDMENT, IT IS
