Elizabeth Warren Talks Keeping People, Democracy Healthy During Coronavirus on ‘Full Frontal’

Elizabeth Warren broke down her characteristically comprehensive plans to stem the spread of the coronavirus, as well as protect the health and democratic rights of Americans, in an interview with Samantha Bee that will air on Full Frontal tonight.

The segment opened with Bee acknowledging that Warren was her preferred candidate in the Democratic primary, and asking the Massachusetts senator what she would say to the American people if she were currently president. As Warren replied, Bee let her personal fantasy run wild a bit, super-imposing a presidential podium beneath Warren’s head, soundtracking her answer with swelling strings, and interspersing her response with clips of applauding congressmen, bald eagles, and smiling children.

“It’s hard right now, but when we work together we can make this better,” Warren said. “My job, as a leader, is to make the long-term planning to bring in the experts and people who have real organizational skills so that we have good ideas and we’re making them happen. But everybody can help — you help when you keep yourself safe and healthy, you help when you take care of America and take care of yourself.”

From there, Warren got down to business, saying she was fighting to make sure testing for the coronavirus would be increased exponentially and railing against the bidding wars that have erupted between states vying for personal protective equipment.

“This is beyond a waste of money!” Warren said. “Having different states and sometimes medical centers bidding against each other so the price of a mask that used to be 40 cents goes up to $4 or $15 just means states are shelling out money like crazy — money they don’t have to try to protect their people. And at the same time, who’s raking it all in? A profiteer, some kind of manufacturer. That is nuts.”

Warren also spoke about the importance of including voter protections in any forthcoming coronavirus legislation, calling the recent election in Wisconsin — which went ahead with in-person voting despite the obvious health risk — a warning sign. To make sure people could safely vote in November, Warren said every state should be required to send a ballot and postage prepaid envelope to every registered voter, that people should be able to register to vote online, and that registration periods should be extended.

At the end of the interview, Bee asked Warren about Congress’ own quarantine and whether there were any upsides to it, such as not having to speak with Ted Cruz as often. Warren, without missing a beat, cracked, “If you remember, Ted Cruz was one of the first who went into quarantine, and it did not make things worse in the Senate!”

Speaking with Rolling Stone, Full Frontal producer Razan Ghalayini said of the segment, “It was inspirational and calming to hear Senator Warren lay out her plans for coronavirus testing and making sure Americans are able to vote in November, but hearing her dunk on Ted Cruz has been, by far, the highlight of my coronavirus quarantine.”

Featured via: Rollingstone