WE'RE BACK WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT JOSEPH R. BIDEN AND FUTURE FIRST

LADY DR. JILL BIDEN.

YOU WILL BE THE SECOND CATHOLIC PRESIDENT, AND I DON'T KNOW

ABOUT YOU, BUT MAYBE NOT GROWING UP IN A PRESBYTERIAN HOUSEHOLD,

BUT IN A CATHOLIC HOUSEHOLD, THERE WAS AN ICON OF J.F.K. AND

R.F.K. ON MY WALLS.

I'M SURPRISED MORE HASN'T BEEN MADE OF THE SECOND CATHOLIC

PRESIDENT.

IT'S SIGNIFICANT CERTAINLY TO ME.

J.F.K. HAD TO ALLAY EVERYONE'S FIERCE THAT THERE WASN'T SOME

MERGE PHONE TO THE POPE TO TELL HIM WHAT TO DO.

BUT AT 60 YEARS-ON, IS IT E-MAILS NOW, HOW IS THE POPE

GOING TO TELL YOU HOW TO GOVERN.

>> THE POPE PERSONALLY CALLED ME.

>> Stephen: REALLY?

TO CONGRATULATE ME AND, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I JUST HAD A

NICE PHONE CALL WITH HIS EMINENCE, THE NEW CARDINAL, IN

WASHINGTON WHO SAID HE JUST GOT BACK FROM ROME AND THE POPE

SIGNED A BOOK FOR HE HE WANTS ME TO HAVE.

THE POPE'S BEEN INCREDIBLY GENEROUS TO OUR FAMILY.

>> YES.

WHEN HE CAME TO VISIT, WE WERE THE HOUSE CATHOLICS, WE

WERE THE ONES SHOWING THE POPE AROUND, AND BEAU HAD DIED JUST A

COUPLE OF WEEKS EARLIER.

HE ASKED TO MEET WITH THE FAMILY IN THE HANGAR IN THE AIRPORT AS

HE WAS LEAVING IN PHILLY.

HE CAME IN.

WE HAD 16 FAMILY MEMBERS THERE, AND HE DIDN'T JUST SPEAK ABOUT

BEAU, HE SPOKE IN DETAIL ABOUT BEAU, ABOUT WHO HE WAS AND ABOUT

FAMILY VALUES AND ABOUT FORGIVENESS AND ABOUT DECENCY.

I MEAN, HE IS -- I AM A GREAT ADMIRER OF HIS HOLINESS, I

REALLY AM.

>> Stephen: I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN VERY OPEN ABOUT THE

IMPORTANCE OF FAITH IN YOUR LIFE AND, DR. BIDEN, I KNOW YOU HAVE

A PRAYER PARTNER THAT YOU PICKED UP ON THE CAMPAIGN.

>> I DO.

>> Stephen: WHO IS THAT AND I'VE NEVER HAD A PRAYER PARTNER.

WHAT'S A PRAYER PARTNER?

>> I COULD BE YOUR PRAYER PARTNER.

>> Stephen: I'M IN.

IT WAS A WOMAN I MET, IT WAS -- YOU KNOW, I HAD A REAL

STRUGGLE WITH MY FAITH AFTER BEAU DIED BECAUSE I JUST DIDN'T

BELIEVE HE WAS GOING TO DIE, AND WE WERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AT A

CHURCH, AND A WOMAN CAME UP TO ME --

>> AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHURCH.

D SHE PUT HER HAND ON ME AND SAID, JILL, I WANT TO BE

YOUR PRAYER PARTNER.

I SAID, PRAYER PARTNER, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT.

BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WE CALL ONE ANOTHER, SHE TEXTS ME A

COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK.

SHE ACTUALLY TEXTED ME THIS MORNING, AND WE'VE CONTINUED TO

PRAY AND PRAY FOR, YOU KNOW, THIS COUNTRY AND PEOPLE

STRUGGLING.

I MEAN, LOOK HOW MANY PEOPLE -- AMERICANS ARE STRUGGLING THROUGH

THIS PANDEMIC.

IT'S MEANT A GREAT DEAL TO ME.

SO I FIGURED SO MANY PEOPLE PRAYED FOR ME AND JOE WHEN BEAU

WAS SO ILL, AND NOW I NEED TO PRAY, WE NEED TO PRAY FOR OTHER

PEOPLE.

>> Stephen: BOTH OF YOU HAVE BEEN SO OPEN, AND I SAY GENEROUS

BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE FEELS COMFORTABLE SHARING THEIR GRIEF

WITH THE PUBLIC, NOT DEMONSTRABLY, BUT AS AN EXAMPLE

TO HAVE THE NECESSITY OF GRIEF TO HEAL YOURSELF.

OUR COUNTRY HAS AN UNADDRESSED GRIEF OF THE 300,000 PEOPLE WHO

HAVE DIED PARTLY BECAUSE OUR PRESENT LEADERSHIP DOESN'T WANT

TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DIMENSION OF THIS TRAGEDY.

MR. PRESIDENT-ELECT, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE ROLE OF THE PRESIDENT

IS IN LEADING THE COUNTRY TO FACE LOSS?

>> WELL, LOOK, YOU AND I HAD A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS.

YOU'VE HAD SEVERE LOSS IN YOUR FAMILY, YOUR DAD AND YOUR

BROTHER, AND IT'S PROFOUND.

THINK OF ALL THE PEOPLE THIS CHRISTMAS WHO ARE GOING TO SIT

AT A TABLE WITH AN EMPTY CHAIR ACROSS THE TABLE, A SON,

DAUGHTER, MOM, A DAD, SOMEBODY.

AND AS YOU KNOW, AND I'M NOT BEING SOLICITOUS, YOU KNOW,

PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH IT, CAN I MAKE

IT?

CAN I MAKE IT?

AND WHAT YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT IS I THINK EMPATHY IS A

CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THING.

IT DOESN'T MAKE IT EASIER TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN

THROUGH IT, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH IT AND YOU TALK TO

PEOPLE, THEY GO, OKAY, I KNOW HE OR SHE UNDERSTANDS BECAUSE THEY

HAVE BEEN THROUGH IT.

>> Stephen: BUT HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE

THERE IS THIS UNADDRESSED GRIEF, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT'S NOT

HEALTHY FOR THE NATION TO PRETEND LIKE SOMETHING -- I'M

WORRIED THAT WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING IT, THAT WE HAVE TO

TAKE A MOMENT FOR THE GRIEF AND WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE

PRESIDENT TO DO THAT.

>> WELL, THE ROLE OF THE PRESIDENCY IS TO SAY THERE'S A

REASON TO GRIEVE.

YOU'VE HAD GREAT LOSS.

BUT HERE WILL COME A TIME, AND REMIND YOURSELF, JUST BE

REMINDED THE TIME WILL COME WHEN YOU THINK YOUR HUSBAND, WIFE,

SON, DAUGHTER, MOM OR DAD, YOU GET A SMILE ON THE LIPS BEFORE A

TEAR IN YOUR EYE, YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THERE ARE ALSO A LOT

OF PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP OUTSIDE.

LOOK AT ALL THE NURSES AND DOCTORS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH

HELL OF HOLDING SOMEONE'S HAND WHO THERE'S NO FAMILY MEMBER

THERE WHEN THEY TIED AND THE THE IMPACT ON THEM.

THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO INVEST A LOT MORE MONEY ON MENTAL HEALTH

AND ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK

TO.

YOU HAVE TO TALK THROUGH IT.

BUT PEOPLE KNOW IF THEY LOOK AROUND AND SEE THIS PERSON MADE

IT, I CAN MAKE IT, WE'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS.

IT'S GOING TO BE HELL, AND BY THE WAY, WE'RE GOING TO LOSE A

LOT MORE PEOPLE.

>> BUT I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS THAT JOE WAS ELECTED WAS

BECAUSE OF HIS SENSE OF EMPATHY, AND I THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND

THAT HE'S HAD A LOT OF TRAGEDY AND LOSS IN OUR FAMILY, AND HE

UNDERSTANDS WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.

AND I HOPE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WHEN WE GET TO THE WHITE HOUSE,

KNOW THAT WE FEEL THEIR PAIN.

WE KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE, AND THAT JOE -- AND THAT THERE'S HOPE

THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO GET BETTER FOR THEM.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE VACCINES AND, YOU KNOW,

JOE'S GOING TO WORK TO UNITE THE COUNTRY, AND, SO, I HOPE THEY

FEEL THAT THERE'S REAL HOPE.

>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT WHEN WE COME

BACK, I WILL ASK THE BIDENS ABOUT THEIR CHRISTMAS

TRADITIONS.

♪♪♪