On Friday's New Day, CNN regulars talked up the possibility of Vice President Joe Biden jumping into the presidential race, with co-host Chris Cuomo declaring that "We have no secret here that we have been pushing Joe Biden to get into the race because we want as many voices as possible to help voters make their decision."
Additionally, as the group discussed Donald Trump's recent jab at the Vice President's history of plagiarism, Cuomo misleadingly referred to the crack as "taking it back to law school," and CNN political reporter Sara Murray dismissed the issue as "some old accusations from law school." But, while he was running for President in 1988, Biden was found to have lifted extensively from the speech of a British politician, and from other speakers as well.
At about 6:03 a.m., Cuomo brought up the scenario of a Biden run:
I want to talk about Joe Biden. We have no secret here that we have been pushing Joe Biden to get into the race because we want as many voices as possible to help voters make their decision. So he's at 12 percent. Sara, how do you read that? Is that a vote for Joe Biden? Or is that just a rejection vote of the current field? Or both?
Murray talked up polling suggesting Biden may have a promising chance, asserting that "I think there kind of are a lot of promising tidbits out there for old Joe."
A bit later, Cuomo recalled that Trump recently brought up Biden's plagiarism history:
CHRIS CUOMO: You know you're not real, Sara, until Donald Trump takes a swipe at you. Listen to this.
DONALD TRUMP (AUDIO FROM THE HUGH HEWITT SHOW): I think I'd match up great. I'm a job producer. I've had a great record. I haven't been involved in plagiarism. I think I would match up very well against Biden.
CUOMO: Donald Trump taking it back to law school, bringing up that Joe Biden got hooked for plagiarism then. What does this mean, Sara?
Murray dismissed the issue:
If the worst thing he can say about Biden right now is talking about some old accusations from law school, I think that puts Biden in a pretty good position.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Friday, August 14, New Day on CNN:
CHRIS CUOMO: We talked GOP yesterday. Let's talk about the Democratic side today. Let's put up the numbers about what's going on, the state of things in that race. You got Hillary Clinton is up there obviously. Bernie Sanders was a headline yesterday because he's making a move, what that means about pushing her to the left.
I want to talk about Joe Biden. We have no secret here that we have been pushing Joe Biden to get into the race because we want as many voices as possible to help voters make their decision. So he's at 12 percent. Sara, how do you read that? Is that a vote for Joe Biden? Or is that just a rejection vote of the current field? Or both?
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, look, the reality is, Joe Biden isn't some candidate that people don't know. People know who Joe Biden is. He's our sitting Vice President, and the fact that he's already at 12 percent without even saying he would get into the race, I think that's more than just a protest vote. If you dig into these numbers a little further, there are some other encouraging signs in the polls for Joe Biden. It's possible, for instance, he could do better at making voters feel like he understands their problems and their concerns than someone like Hillary Clinton. So I think there kind of are a lot of promising tidbits out there for old Joe.
(...)
CUOMO: You know you're not real, Sara, until Donald Trump takes a swipe at you. Listen to this.
DONALD TRUMP (AUDIO FROM THE HUGH HEWITT SHOW): I think I'd match up great. I'm a job producer. I've had a great record. I haven't been involved in plagiarism. I think I would match up very well against Biden.
CUOMO: Donald Trump taking it back to law school, bringing up that Joe Biden got hooked for plagiarism then. What does this mean, Sara?
MURRAY: Well, it means that Donald Trump looks at Joe Biden as a potential threat. Remember, this is a candidate, Trump, who says he only attacks when he is being attacked. And last I've checked, I don't think Joe Biden has been out there taking any swipes at Donald Trump. So Trump's already going on the offensive. And, look, if the worst thing he can say about Biden right now is talking about some old accusations from law school, I think that puts Biden in a pretty good position.
MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: And Biden is so good at talking to that that blue collar voter. That's why Obama brought him onto the ticket. So you have to wonder whether or not Biden has kind of a window here to go after some of those same voters that have been drawn to Trump, who like plain-speaking, who don' t like the politicians. He really could get in that space as well
