DNC Chair Tom Perez Talks Party Strategy

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Just address some of the questions that people have had about perhaps you should put some more young people, some more progressives, instead of so many Republicans, for instance.

TOM PEREZ, DNC CHAIR: Well, I think we have had everybody. We have had — look at last night, for instance, the 17 elected officials who were making the case for Joe Biden. What a remarkably talented, diverse set of young leaders who are going to be our future senators and governors and perhaps presidents. We have seen throughout this, throughout the convention, and you will see it tonight and tomorrow, our diversity in action, our accomplishment in action. And that is something I’m really proud of. Joe Biden believes in what Ted Kennedy taught me, which is, politics is about arithmetic. Addition beats subtraction every single day of the week. And you look at the broad array of support that Vice President Biden and Kamala Harris have, I think that bodes well. And you asked a question about the unity of the convention. It’s not simply unity that occurred a week ago. We had two dozen, roughly, candidates for president. They all took a — they all took a very clear pledge: I’m in it to win it. And if I don’t win it, I am going to be full-throatedly behind our standard-bearer. And we have had that since last April. We are a far cry from where we were four years ago. We have made so much progress. And we all recognize that our unity is our greatest strength and Donald Trump’s worst nightmare. Now, unity doesn’t mean unanimity. And debate doesn’t mean division. We will continue to have debate about issues. But we have such a fundamental agreement on the core values, such as the need for health care for all, the need to make sure that, if you have a preexisting condition, you can keep your coverage, the need to address these crises by listening to the science, by understanding how we can only build back the economy if we fix the pandemic, and by building a Cabinet and an America that really looks like an America. Donald Trump has failed all of these critical tests of leadership.