Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:02WEIGHING AND THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOR SERVING THE COUNTRY.
00:00:07IT'S AN INTERESTING TOPIC, ESPECIALLY WHILE WE ARE AT WAR.
00:00:10HAVE A GOOD REST OF YOUR DAY.
00:00:13THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS CALLED IN. WE PACKED A LOT INTO THIS SHOW,
00:00:16WHICH IS ALWAYS THE BENEFIT ON THE WEEKEND.
00:00:19THERE'S A LOT TO CONTINUE
00:00:20WATCHING AS THE DAYS PLAY OUT.
00:00:24PRESIDENT TRUMP'S NEW JERSEY AT HIS GOLF CLUB. STICK AROUND HERE AT C-SPAN.
00:00:28WE WILL BE AIRING CEASEFIRE NEXT
00:00:31WITH THE GREAT DASHA BURNS. THANKS AGAIN.
00:00:40♪
00:00:48DASHA: WELCOME TO "CEASEFIRE,"
00:00:51WE LOOK TO BRIDGE --
00:01:00WHERE WE LOOK TO BRIDGE THE DIVIDE IN AMERICAN POLITICS. I AM DASHA BURNS FROM POLITICO.
00:01:03WE HAVE ILLINOIS DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI AND TEXAS
00:01:06REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN PETE SESSIONS. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME FROM YOUR RESPECTIVE
00:01:09STATES TODAY.
00:01:10>> GOOD MORNING.
00:01:15GOOD TO SEE YOU.
00:01:19DASHA: I WANT TO START WITH THE COMMITTEE THAT YOU HAVE BOTH
00:01:23SERVED ON -- THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. WE HERE ON "CEASEFIRE," WE ARE ALL ABOUT BIPARTISANSHIP, NOT
00:01:26HIGH DRAMA.
00:01:28I THINK THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
00:01:36IS KIND OF KNOWN FOR SOME HIGH DRAMA. I AM CURIOUS, YOU TWO HAVE DONE A LOT OF BIPARTISAN WORK.
00:01:40CAN YOU TAKE ME BEHIND THE SCENES OF WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT NOT SEE ON THIS REALLY CRITICAL
00:01:43COMMITTEE.
00:01:49WE WILL START WITH YOU. REP. KRISHNAMOORTHI: THANKS FOR HAVING US. IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU, PETE.
00:01:52INTERESTINGLY, PETE AND I VISIT THE HOUSE GYM AROUND THE
00:01:56SAME TIME EVERY DAY.
00:02:05SO, I GUESS THE LAWMAKERS WHO GET TO THE GYM EARLY GET EXTRA
00:02:08DOSES OF EACH OTHER EVERY DAY.
00:02:14DASHA: THAT'S WHERE THE COLLABORATION HAPPENS. REP. KRISHNAMOORTHI: EXACTLY, EXACTLY.
00:02:18I THINK ON THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE,
00:02:19IT IS THE SCENE OF A LOT OF HIGH
00:02:25AND ANTICS -- HIGH DRAMA AND
00:02:29ANTICS. BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, ON CERTAIN ISSUES, WE HAVE FOUND WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER. I THINK THE MOST NOTABLE FOR ME
00:02:33IS THE EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION, WHERE ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS, I THINK WE HAVE MADE A LOT OF
00:02:37PROGRESS IN INTERVIEWING AND DEPOSING A LOT OF WITNESSES.
00:02:41JUST TO GIVE YOUR VIEWERS BACKGROUND INFORMATION, MORE
00:02:45THAN 1000 -- THEN GIRLS, NOW
00:02:50MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN -- WERE ABUSED
00:02:54IN A GHASTLY SEX TRAFFICKING
00:02:56RING THAT WAS ORCHESTRATED BY JEFFREY EPSTEIN, GHISLAINE MAXWELL, AND OTHERS.
00:03:01AND THEY ARE YET TO RECEIVE A SINGLE MEASURE OF JUSTICE. THE TURNING POINT THAT LED TO COOPERATION IS WHEN THE
00:03:04SURVIVORS CAME IN, AND WE AS A
00:03:08COMMITTEE, THANKS TO JIM COMER AND RANKING MEMBER GARCIA, BROUGHT US ALL TOGETHER TO MEET
00:03:12WITH THEM.
00:03:16AND IT WAS A VERY MOVING EXPERIENCE, HONESTLY. AND I THINK THAT HELPED TO
00:03:20STIFFEN THE RESOLVE OF THE COMMITTEE ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT HAPPENED AND TO
00:03:23PREVENT IT FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF
00:03:27THAT.
00:03:30OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK TO BE DONE, BUT I THINK
00:03:33THAT'S AN AREA OF BIPARTISANSHIP THAT I'VE SEEN.
00:03:38DASHA: I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU BOTH THIS HEADLINE FROM THE PALM
00:03:40BEACH POST IN MAY.
00:03:42IT SAYS, "HOUSE OVERSIGHT KNOWN FOR ANTICS
00:03:46TURNS SERIOUS ON EPSTEIN. THE MATTER HAS LARGELY BEEN HANDLED BY THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT
00:03:49COMMITTEE, THE SERIOUSNESS OF
00:03:50THE TASK, LET ALONE THE GRAVITY
00:03:54OF THE EPSTEIN ISSUE, IN CONTRAST TO SOME OF THE DRAMA, ANTICS, AND THEATRICS THAT HAVE EITHER OCCASIONALLY BEEN AIRED
00:03:58IN OR ENVELOPED THE COMMITTEE'S PUBLIC GATHERINGS OR ITS
00:04:00INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS."
00:04:03SMALL SESSIONS, DO YOU THINK THAT IS AN ACCURATE
00:04:06DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED THERE? REP. SESSIONS: I THINK IT IS.
00:04:10WE DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO
00:04:11THE DOCUMENTS.
00:04:20IT RESIDED WITHIN A NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATIONS, GOING BACK TO THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION MOVING FORWARD.
00:04:23AND IT WAS REALLY SEEN AS A
00:04:25LEGAL MATTER.
00:04:28AND THEN, AS IT BECAME BROUGHT
00:04:31FORWARD, AS IT CAME, AS IT WAS
00:04:36BROUGHT FORWARD, IT THEN TURNED
00:04:37INTO WHAT WE SIZE -- WHAT WE SAW
00:04:40AS HOLES OF IMPORTANT DATA AND INFORMATION THAT SHOULD HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE, WE THINK AT LEAST
00:04:45PUBLICLY, THROUGH AN
00:04:46INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS.
00:04:50SO IT TURNED INTO A MATTER WHERE IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR BOTH
00:04:55SIDES, NOT JUST TO SEE THIS FOR
00:04:58WHAT IT WAS, BUT TO SEE THE FRAILTY OF THE SYSTEM.
00:05:00THE SYSTEM DID NOT TREAT THESE YOUNG WOMEN PROPERLY.
00:05:04IT DID NOT YIELD THE DATA AND INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE
00:05:08NECESSARY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO
00:05:09EFFECTIVELY HAVE LEARNED THE LESSON.
00:05:13AND SO, IT BECAME VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
00:05:15IT ALSO WAS A MATTER, AS WE ALL
00:05:21KNOW, THAT SPANNED JURISDICTIONS.
00:05:23FLORIDA, NEW YORK, NEW MEXICO,
00:05:28OTHER JURISDICTIONS, FEDERAL AND STATE, A NUMBER OF JURISDICTIONS.
00:05:32WE FELT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, EFFECTIVELY, HANDLED
00:05:37BETTER BY WORKING TOGETHER.
00:05:40IT WAS OBVIOUS NOT ONLY TO ME
00:05:41BUT TO THE DEMOCRATS BUT ALSO
00:05:48THE REPUBLICANS. THIS WAS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WE DID NOT HAVE AN ANGLE YET TO
00:05:52ATTACK EACH OTHER BECAUSE IT WAS ALL ADMINISTRATIONS, REPUBLICANS
00:05:54AND DEMOCRATS.
00:05:59IT WAS DIFFERENT ATTORNEYS GENERAL.
00:06:03SO IT BECAME AN EASY THING FOR US TO DO.
00:06:07NEXT, IT BECAME IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE. NOT JUST, NOTWITHSTANDING MY WIFE WHO STAYED AFTER ME, EVERY
00:06:10SINGLE MEMBER HAD SOMEONE WHO
00:06:17IT WAS HUGELY IMPORTANT TO. AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GET INVOLVED IN THINGS, IT IS ONE AREA OF THE COUNTRY OR ONE PARTY
00:06:20OR ANOTHER, THIS DEALT WITH EVERY SINGLE WOMAN.
00:06:24AND I THINK WE OURSELVES SAW
00:06:27WHERE IT WAS A NATIONAL NIGHTMARE. SO WORKING TOGETHER WE ACCOMPLISH MORE.
00:06:31DASHA: IT IS REMARKABLE TO HEAR HOW YOU BOTH ARE TALKING ABOUT
00:06:33THIS ISSUE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE
00:06:36SERIOUSNESS OF THE WORK YOU HAVE BEEN DOING.
00:06:38IT DOES STAND IN CONTRAST WITH
00:06:43SOME OF THE POLITICIZATION OF
00:06:47THIS ISSUE OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMMITTEE.
00:06:50WHY DO YOU THINK SOMETHING THAT,
00:06:53YOU KNOW, ON ITS FACE SHOULD NOT
00:06:54BE PARTISAN BECAME SO POLITICAL
00:06:59OUTSIDE OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL
00:07:00WERE DOING?
00:07:07REP. SESSIONS: WELL, RAJ
00:07:12WILL HAVE HIS OWN ANSWER, AND I THINK AS WE AS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, WE
00:07:16ARE ARTICLE I WE DEAL A LOT WITH ARTICLE II, WHICH IS THE ADMINISTRATION. WE HAVE HAD OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS
00:07:20A NUMBER OF STRONG PRESIDENTS. FOR SURE, PRESIDENT OBAMA.
00:07:22FOR SURE, PRESIDENT TRUMP.
00:07:25AND THEN PRESIDENT BIDEN.
00:07:30WHO CAME ABOUT THEIR USE OF OFFICE IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
00:07:33WE HAD BEEN IN THE SAME, ALMOST
00:07:36THE EXACT SAME COMMITTEE MAKEUP SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE GOING
00:07:40THROUGH THE BIDEN ISSUES WITH
00:07:47AND HIS SON, WITH THE OFFICIAL TRAVEL, WITH COCAINE.
00:07:51A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER STRIKINGLY
00:07:56RESEMBLE SOME THINGS THAT MAY BE
00:08:00HAPPENING TODAY. THAT IS A PRESIDENT WHO HAS HIS
00:08:04VIEWS AND THOUGHTS THAT NOT EVERYBODY AGREES WITH.
00:08:07AND SO, THOSE WERE WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
00:08:09WE FEEL LIKE IT IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR AS WE APPROACH
00:08:12PRESIDENT TRUMP IN MANY INSTANCES.
00:08:16AND CERTAINLY THE DEMOCRATS FELT
00:08:17LIKE THEY HAD THAT SAME ABILITY
00:08:21AND DESIRE WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN.
00:08:22SO, THESE ARE -- THESE ARE
00:08:27ISSUES WE ARE FIGHTING FOR AND THAT THEY DEAL WITH THE ESSENCE
00:08:30OF OUR -- OF ARTICLE TWO. DASHA: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT AND HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK
00:08:34IT WAS FOR BOTH PARTIES TO SORT
00:08:36OF BUCK SOME OF THE OUTSIDE
00:08:41EXPECTATIONS HERE AND MOVE FORWARD AND DO IT YOU FELT WAS RIGHT?
00:08:46REP. KRISHNAMOORTHI: I THINK IT
00:08:47IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
00:08:50ONE THING I WOULD JUST AS IT IS, WHEN YOU ACTUALLY MEET WITH THE
00:08:54SURVIVORS, TO ME, THE POLITICS
00:08:58REALLY START TO FALL AWAY, BECAUSE THEY ARE REAL HUMAN
00:09:02BEINGS, WHO HAVE SUFFERED A
00:09:06GRAVE MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE. AND YOU COULD EASILY IMAGINE ANY NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE SUFFERING
00:09:10THE SAME FATE.
00:09:12I'M A FATHER OF A DAUGHTER THAT
00:09:15-- IT'S THE BIGGEST FEAR OF MY LIFE THAT ANYBODY WOULD MISTREAT
00:09:19ANY MEMBER OF MY FAMILY. AND HERE WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF
00:09:22YOUNG WOMEN, THEN GIRLS, REALLY,
00:09:28WHO WERE ABUSED.
00:09:28AND SO, JUST LIKE THAT, THIS
00:09:32REALLY TAKES IT OUT OF POLITICS. AT LEAST FOR ME.
00:09:36THAT'S WHY WIN, YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT CLINTON DID NOT COME
00:09:39BEFORE US I HAD TO CAST A VOTE
00:09:44THAT MAY BE SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE
00:09:47SUPPORTERS OF HIS DID NOT LIKE. THAT HELD HIM IN CONTEMPT WHEN
00:09:51HE WASN'T COOPERATING WITH THE COMMITTEE.
00:09:55NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, PRESIDENT
00:09:57TRUMP IS, I THINK PETE ARTFULLY
00:09:59ALLUDED TO IT, BUT PRESIDENT
00:10:03TRUMP IS NOT AS FULLY COOPERATIVE IS WE WOULD LIKE.
00:10:06AND I KNOW MANY, MANY REPUBLICAN
00:10:08COLLEAGUES HAVE ECHOED THE SAME.
00:10:11AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN STAND TOGETHER ON THIS ISSUE AND KIND
00:10:14OF BUCK THOSE OUTSIDE FORCES AND REALLY GET TO JUSTICE.
00:10:18BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
00:10:22DASHA: DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS NOT BEEN AS COOPERATIVE IN THIS AS YOU WOULD LIKE AND WHAT DO YOU
00:10:26THINK NEEDS TO COME NEXT IN
00:10:32ORDER TO GET JUSTICE FOR THESE WOMEN? REP. SESSIONS: I THINK THESE ARE
00:10:35IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND, BY THE WAY, I HOPE WE GO TO SOME OTHER
00:10:38TOPICS THAT WE DO HAVE
00:10:43BIPARTISANSHIP, AT LEAST IN MY
00:10:46SUBCOMMITTEE, THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS THAT I HAVE.
00:10:49SO, LET'S STAY ON THIS FOR A SECOND. WHAT HAPPENED IS IS THAT THIS
00:10:52THING TURNED INTO MORE OF A POLITICAL FOOTBALL WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ARGUMENTS STARTED
00:10:56BEING MADE THAT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, PARTICULARLY MEN, DID
00:10:59NOT CARE ABOUT GETTING TO THE
00:11:01BOTTOM OF THIS.
00:11:05AND THERE BECAME -- LEGISLATION
00:11:09THAT WAS PASSED ON THE FLOOR --
00:11:15WHEREBY IT ESSENTIALLY TOOK IT OUT OF OUR HANDS AND GAVE IT
00:11:18THEN DIRECTLY TO THE LAW ABOUT
00:11:22WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WOULD DO.
00:11:23AND SO THAT PUT IT BACK IN THE
00:11:28DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, WHICH MEANT PERHAPS THE PRESIDENT IN
00:11:33HIS OWN CONVERSATIONS HAD CONVERSATION WITH THEM, BUT IT
00:11:36WAS ACTUALLY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAD IT.
00:11:40THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL THEN
00:11:43HANDLED THE ISSUE, CAME BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, TALKED WITH US.
00:11:46BUT WHEN YOU DEAL WITH THE LAW AND THE LAW WAS VERY SPECIFIC
00:11:51THAT WAS PASSED THAT SAID THAT ALL THOSE PEOPLE WOULD BE
00:11:56REDACTED, WE WOULD NOT OUT OF A
00:11:59PERSON WHO WAS A VICTIM. IT WRAPPED UP IN A DIFFERENT
00:12:03WAY. I STILL THINK THERE ARE LOTS OF QUESTIONS THAT NEITHER SIDE CAN ANSWER.
00:12:09AND PERHAPS THEY ARE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS.
00:12:12PERHAPS THEY ARE PRIVACY ISSUES. BUT A MEMBER OF CONGRESS HAS A
00:12:15DIFFICULT TIME -- AND THIS IS
00:12:19WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN A GROUP OF PEOPLE DECIDE THEY ARE GOING TO RUSH WHAT I
00:12:23SAW WAS A PART -- WAS A
00:12:28BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS ENDED UP
00:12:31BEING THIS -- THIS NEW PIECE OF LEGISLATION. DASHA: I AM GLAD WE STARTED WITH THIS TOPIC BECAUSE I DO THINK
00:12:35THAT IT IS ILLUSTRATIVE OF THIS
00:12:36MOMENT IN CONGRESS WHERE THERE
00:12:40IT IS IN MANY PLACES A DESIRE TO
00:12:44WORK IN A BIPARTISAN FASHION, AND IT ACTUALLY DOES HAPPEN MORE
00:12:47OFTEN THEN PEOPLE THINK, BUT YOU
00:12:49ARE DEALING WITH THESE OUTSIDE POLITICAL PRESSURES IN THE MIDST
00:12:53OF IT ALL. I DO WANT TO GET YOUR BIGGER PICTURE PERSPECTIVE ON HOW HARD
00:12:57IT IS TO WORK ACROSS THE AISLE
00:13:01IN THIS POLARIZED MOMENT. CONGRESSMAN KRISHNAMOORTHI?
00:13:05REP. KRISHNAMOORTHI: UM, LIKE, I'LL JUST TELL YOU ON A DAILY
00:13:09BASIS, WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER
00:13:14AND AS A PRACTICAL MATTER I AM
00:13:15TALKING TO TODAY, FROM MY
00:13:18DISTRICT OFFICE, WE JUST CLOSED
00:13:19OUR 15,000TH CONSTITUENT
00:13:25SERVICES CASE. I'M REALLY PROUD OF THAT BECAUSE BASICALLY WE WORK EVERY DAY TO HELP OUR CONSTITUENTS DEAL WITH EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, A
00:13:29MISSING SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK TO HELPING THEM WITH THEIR
00:13:32IMMIGRATION MATTERS.
00:13:36THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO WORK WITH
00:13:38THE ADMINISTRATION, BECAUSE WE LITERALLY HAVE TO TALK TO THE
00:13:42STATE DEPARTMENT OVER THE USCIS
00:13:44OR ANY AGENCY EVERY DAY AND TRY TO RESOLVE THESE MATTERS.
00:13:49THAT'S LIKE A BIPARTISANSHIP IN ACTION ON A DAILY BASIS.
00:13:53GETTING THINGS DONE. I THINK WHERE THINGS GET REALLY TRICKY IS WE ARE IN A MOMENT
00:13:58WHERE THERE IS INCREDIBLE
00:14:01POLITICAL POLARIZATION. YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT LIKES TO
00:14:05GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AS YOU KNOW,
00:14:08AND I GET A CALLS EVERY DAY
00:14:10ABOUT THOSE TWEETS OR THOSE
00:14:12TRUTH SOCIALS AND SO FORTH.
00:14:16AND THEN PEOPLE GET REALLY
00:14:19RILED UP AND IT BECOMES MORE
00:14:21CHALLENGING TO KIND OF OUTWARDLY KIND OF WORK TOGETHER SOMETIMES.
00:14:25BUT I STILL BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT CONSTITUENTS WANT. THEY WANT TO GET THINGS DONE.
00:14:31SO, FOR INSTANCE, ON THE CHINA COMMITTEE, I'M REALLY PROUD OF
00:14:35WORK WITH A LOT OF MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES ON LEGISLATION THAT
00:14:38HELPS PROTECT OUR COUNTRY AND 20
00:14:40WHEN THE STRATEGIC COMPETITION WITH CHINA.
00:14:42BUT THAT'S, I THINK, SOMETHING
00:14:46THAT WE HAVE TO STRIVE TO DO EVEN MORE OF AT THIS POINT.
00:14:49DASHA: CONGRESSMAN SESSIONS, DO
00:14:53YOU AGREE WITH WHAT YOUR COLLEAGUE JUST SAID THERE? REP. SESSIONS: AS A MATTER FACT I DO. WE HAVE MUCH THAT IS VERY
00:14:57IMPORTANT TO AMERICA THAT IS
00:15:02STANDING -- IT STANDING IN THE WORLDS, ITS FINANCIAL INTEGRITY, DIRECTLY TO THE POINT OF THERE
00:15:05ARE LOTS OF MATTERS THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THIS WAY.
00:15:10SO I THINK HIS POINT WAS WELL MADE.
00:15:12WE DO TALK WITH EACH OTHER.
00:15:15WE DO HAVE FRIENDSHIPS. WE DO HAVE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THESE THINGS. DASHA: YOU GO TO THE GYM
00:15:19TOGETHER. REP. SESSIONS: THAT WE DO BUT I HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP
00:15:24WITH MY RANKING MEMBER, MR. MFUME, WHO IS FROM MARYLAND.
00:15:28AND WE WORK WELL TOGETHER AND I
00:15:32TALK WITH HIM LITERALLY ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
00:15:35WHAT WE ARE DOING, WHY WE ARE DOING, I ASK HIS OPINION.
00:15:39AND HE SHOWS UP WITH THE REST OF
00:15:40THE SUBCOMMITTEE THAT OUR
00:15:43DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS AND THEY ASK PERTINENT, TOUGH QUESTIONS.
00:15:47AND SO, I THINK THAT IT DEPENDS UPON THE SUBJECT AND WHETHER WE
00:15:50HAVE PEOPLE FROM BACK HOME
00:15:52THROWING BOMBS INTO US, MAKING
00:15:57IT MORE DIFFICULT. BUT I THINK WHAT YOU ARE SEEING
00:16:00HERE TODAY IS WE SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO WORK ON MUCH MORE TOGETHER.
00:16:04DASHA: LET ME ASK ABOUT ONE OF
00:16:08THE TOPICS THAT IS CRITICAL TO
00:16:11BOTH FOLKS HERE DOMESTICALLY AND
00:16:13TO THE UNITED STATES' STANDING ABROAD. AND THAT, OF COURSE, IS THE
00:16:17CONFLICT WITH IRAN, AND A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHERE THIS IS HEADED.
00:16:21HOW MUCH SAY SHOULD CONGRESS
00:16:26HAVE OVER HOW THESE OPERATIONS ARE CONDUCTED AND THE CONTOURS OF A POTENTIAL PEACE DEAL?
00:16:31CONGRESSMAN KRISHNAMOORTHI? REP. KRISHNAMOORTHI: WELL, THE CONGRESS IS THE ULTIMATE
00:16:34POWER TO DECLARE WAR. I DO NOT CARE IF IT IS
00:16:37REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATIC
00:16:39PRESIDENT, THE CONGRESS HAS TO
00:16:44BE CONSULTED, BECAUSE THE CONGRESS EMBODIES THE WILL OF
00:16:46THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
00:16:49IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE
00:16:51THERE HAVE BEEN NO DIFFERENT WAR
00:16:53POWERS RESOLUTIONS THAT HAVE
00:16:56COME BEFORE US, INCLUDING A
00:16:58COUPLE THAT HAVE PASSED ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS.
00:17:02BASICALLY MAKING IT CLEAR TO THE PRESIDENT THAT YOU NEED TO COME
00:17:04TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IF YOU WISH TO DEPLOY OUR TROOPS IN
00:17:08HARM'S WAY. MAKE YOUR CASE.
00:17:11AND IF YOU BELIEVE THAT HAS TO HAPPEN, THEN COME TO THE
00:17:15AMERICAN PEOPLE, COME TO CONGRESS AND HAVE A VOTE.
00:17:18BUT I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS
00:17:20INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
00:17:22THAT'S WHY I BELIEVE THE CURRENT
00:17:25HOSTILITIES ARE ILLEGAL. BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN DONE IN THAT WAY.
00:17:29ARTICLE ONE, AS PETE ALLUDED TO,
00:17:32HAS NOT BEEN FOLLOWED IN THIS PARTICULAR MATTER. DASHA: CONGRESSMAN SESSIONS, WHAT THE CONGRESSMAN OUTLINED
00:17:37THERE ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE
00:17:39HAPPENING IN THE CASE OF THIS SORT OF CONFLICT, IT IS SIMPLY NOT.
00:17:43WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION?
00:17:46REP. SESSIONS: WELL, I FIRST
00:17:50-- THE FIRST THING I SAY IS I AGREE WITH ALMOST EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE
00:17:53WORD ILLEGAL. UNTIL WE GOT TO THE 60 DAYS, I
00:17:57DON'T THINK THERE WAS A LEGAL
00:18:01REQUIREMENT FOR THE PRESIDENT. WE'VE HAD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS
00:18:05THE PRESIDENT HAS EXTRAORDINARY POWERS. NOT JUST TO PROTECT THE UNITED
00:18:08STATES, BUT TO ENGAGE IN CONFLICT.
00:18:11BUT AT THE 60 DAY MARK THERE
00:18:14APPEARS TO BE A VERY CLEARLY --
00:18:18IT APPEARS TO BE VERY CLEAR TO ME, THE LONGER CONGRESS WOULD
00:18:21HAVE A SAY, YES OR NO. AND MY POINT MIGHT BE THAT THIS,
00:18:28-- THIS CONFLICT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE IRANIANS IS UNLIKE ANY THAT I THINK ANY MEMBER OF CONGRESS OR ANY PERSON IN WASHINGTON
00:18:32WOULD'VE THOUGHT WOULD'VE COME TO WHERE IT IS. AND THAT IS THE IRANIANS ARE NOT GOING TO GIVE.
00:18:35THERE IS NO GIVING.
00:18:38IT IS TOTAL THAT THEY WANT TO
00:18:42HAVE CONTROL. THAT THEY ARE GOING TO STAND BY THEIR MEANS.
00:18:45AND THEY HAVE FAR MORE ABILITIES THAN I THINK WE KNEW GOING INTO THIS.
00:18:49DASHA: DO YOU THINK A PEACE DEAL
00:18:51AT -- PEACE DEAL IS POSSIBLE
00:18:56AT ALL AT THIS POINT? REP. SESSIONS: WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LAW AND THE PRESIDENT. THE PRESIDENT STILL HAS THE
00:19:00OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE THAT HE
00:19:04CONSULTS WITH CONGRESS. AND I HAVE SEEN RIGHT OUTSIDE MY
00:19:06DOOR IN RAYBURN DAYS WHERE BOTH
00:19:09SIDES ARE IN AT THE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE.
00:19:12BOTH SIDES ARE IN RECEIVING
00:19:14DATA, RECEIVING INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CURRENT
00:19:18STATUS. DO I THINK PEACE IS POSSIBLE?
00:19:21I THINK THAT RESOLUTION, WHETHER IT IS THE WAY WE THOUGHT IT
00:19:25WOULD HAPPEN OR NOT, IS MAYBE
00:19:30HEADED THAT DIRECTION TODAY. I THINK THE IRANIAN ECONOMY IS IN TROUBLE.
00:19:34I THINK THEY GOT TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. AND I THINK WE DON'T HAVE THE
00:19:37VOTES ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO PROVIDE
00:19:41THE PRESIDENT THE MILITARY --
00:19:43THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO PROTECT THEM.
00:19:46THE PLANE ABOUT WINNING THE WAR I THINK IS AN OLD IDEA -- THE
00:19:51PLAN ABOUT WINNING THE WAR I THINK IS AN OLD IDEA. DASHA: ON TOP OF THAT YOU HAVE
00:19:54THE STOCKPILES ISSUE. LOOK AT THE HEADLINE FROM REUTERS SAYING THE U.S. HAS USED VIRTUALLY ALL OF HIS LONG-RANGE PRECISION MISSILES DURING THE
00:19:58IRAN WAR.
00:20:02CONGRESSMAN KRISHNAMOORTHI, HOW
00:20:06BIG OF A CONCERN IS THIS?
00:20:14REP. KRISHNAMOORTHI: IT IS HUGE BECAUSE REPORTS ARE THAT WE ARE VIRTUALLY OUT OF ATTACK-EMS
00:20:17WHICH ARE LONG-RANGE PRECISION FIRES. WE DEPLETED OUR STOCK OF PATRIOT
00:20:20AND SM-3 INTERCEPTORS, AND ALSO OUR THAD INTERCEPTOR MISSILES AS
00:20:24WELL.
00:20:37NOT TO MENTION TOMAHAWKS ARE AT
00:20:38A VERY LOW LEVEL.
00:20:42THE REASON WHY I'M SO CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AS A MEMBER OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IS
00:20:46BECAUSE I KNOW THAT OUR STRENGTH COMES FROM OUR ABILITY TO DETER OUR ADVERSARIES. AND THAT DETERRENCE STEMS FROM OUR UNIT MUNITIONS STOCKPILES.
00:20:50AND THE CHINESE IN PARTICULAR, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, THE COMMUNIST PARTY IS MEASURING OUR
00:20:54MAGAZINE DEPTH EVERY DAY. AND I AM CONCERNED THAT WHEN OUR DETERRENCE GOES DOWN, WE INVITE
00:20:57AGGRESSION BY OUR ADVERSARIES
00:21:00WHICH COULD SLIDE INTO CONFLICT. WHETHER IT IS IN EUROPE OR
00:21:04WHETHER IT IS IN THE INTO PACIFIC THEATER.
00:21:07AND THIS IS A GRAVE PROBLEM IN
00:21:09MY OPINION. DASHA: CONGRESSMAN SESSIONS, DO
00:21:13YOU AGREE? REP. SESSIONS: OF COURSE I AGREE.
00:21:17BUT THEN THE QUESTION BECOMES, OK, WHICH SIDE WILL BE AT THE
00:21:20TABLE TO DECIDE WHEN WE VOTE TO
00:21:23AT LEAST MAINFRAME FROM EITHER
00:21:27USING MORE.
00:21:34BACKFILLING, THAT TAKES MONEY. THAT TAKES A VOTE ON THE FLOOR.
00:21:37ONCE AGAIN, POLITICS COMES INTO PLAY THERE, TOO. BUT I THINK THAT IT IS GOING TO
00:21:41TAKE ALL OF WHAT WE CALL FOUR CORNERS OF GETTING TOGETHER WITH THE HOUSE, THE SENATE,
00:21:44REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS, TO SAY, HERE IS THE AGREEMENT ON
00:21:47WHAT THE UNITED STATES NEEDS NOW TO SUPPORT OUR MILITARY.
00:21:51AND THEN THAT THE PRESIDENT IS
00:21:56THEN GOING TO HAVE TO SAY OK, , HERE IS HOW I WOULD USE
00:21:59WHAT YOU GIVE ME. BUT I THINK TO LEAVE US DEFENSELESS IS NOT GOOD FOR THE
00:22:02REPUBLICANS AND CERTAINLY NOT
00:22:05GOOD FOR THE DEMOCRATS. BECAUSE IT JUST DIVIDES US
00:22:10FURTHER WITH SUPPORTING AMERICA. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US TOGETHER.
00:22:14I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE AND IT'S TIME TO DO IT. DASHA: CONGRESSMAN
00:22:17KRISHNAMOORTHI, YOU MENTIONED CHINA.
00:22:21LET'S TALK ABOUT CHINA DIRECTLY BECAUSE BOTH OF YOU AGREE THE CHALLENGES THAT THE COUNTRY
00:22:24POSES BOTH ECONOMICALLY,
00:22:26STRATEGICALLY. A.I. CANNOT BE IGNORED IN THE
00:22:29CONVERSATION HERE.
00:22:31TAKE A LOOK AT THIS HEADLINE
00:22:35FROM BLOOMBERG SAYING, CHINA'S A.I. BLITZ CREATES A
00:22:38DEBT SOMEONE WRITING A FLURRY FROM MODELS FROM CHINA SECTOR IS RAPIDLY NARROWING THE GAP WITH
00:22:42SILICON VALLEY AND CREATING WHAT
00:22:43HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A DEATH
00:22:47ZONE FOR ANYONE WITHOUT FRONTIER
00:22:51-PUSHING TECHNOLOGY OR MARKET-BREAKING PRICING.
00:22:53CONGRESSMAN KRISHNAMOORTHI, YOU
00:22:57ARE ON THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE AND CHINA COMPETITION COMMITTEE. IS THE U.S. FALLING BEHIND CHINA IN A.I.?
00:23:01REP. KRISHNAMOORTHI: I DON'T BELIEVE SO. I THINK WE HAVE A LEAD BUT IT IS
00:23:04DIMINISHING.
00:23:08NOW PART OF THE REASON WHY IT IS
00:23:10DIMINISHING IS CERTAINLY BECAUSE
00:23:12THE CCP HAS INVESTED BILLIONS
00:23:15AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO
00:23:19FUNDAMENTAL AI TECHNOLOGY, AND
00:23:23THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DO, BY THE WAY, AT THE FEDERAL
00:23:26LEVEL, WHICH I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
00:23:30ANOTHER REASON IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE EMPLOYED THE TECHNIQUE OF
00:23:33WHAT IS CALLED DISTILLATION OF
00:23:36OUR AI MODELS. SOME PEOPLE CALL IT INDUSTRIAL
00:23:40SCALE INTELLECTUAL-PROPERTY THEFT OF OUR AI MODELS.
00:23:43AND SO, WE HAVE TO POLICE AGAINST THAT, OBVIOUSLY.
00:23:48BUT THE BIGGER -- BIGGEST
00:23:50CONCERN TO ME IS THAT WE MUST MAINTAIN AN EDGE WITH REGARD TO
00:23:54AI AND TECHNOLOGIES OF THE FUTURE WRIT LARGE.
00:23:58WHETHER IT IS QUANTUM, WHETHER
00:23:59IT IS ROBOTICS, WHETHER IT IS
00:24:02NANOSCALE TECHNOLOGY, WE HAVE TO BE IN THE LEAD.
00:24:04AND THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF OURSELVES.
00:24:08WE HAVE TO INVEST IN THOSE
00:24:09FUNDAMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES, EVEN AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
00:24:14WE HAVE TO PRACTICE THE HIGH STATE OF SECURITY IN SECURING
00:24:18OUR TECHNOLOGIES AND WORKING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN DOING SO.
00:24:20AND THEN WE ALSO HAD TO FIX OUR LEGAL IMMIGRATION SYSTEM.
00:24:24THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR LEADING
00:24:27SCIENTISTS, INNOVATORS, AND TECHNOLOGISTS, EVEN IN THE AI SPACE, COME FROM ABROAD.
00:24:32THEY ARE JUST LIKE ME. I AM AN IMMIGRANT MYSELF.
00:24:35I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE
00:24:39CONTINUE TO RETAIN AND ATTRACT THE BEST TALENT FROM AROUND THE WORLD. I'M CONCERNED RIGHT NOW WE ARE
00:24:42LOSING THAT TALENT, AND IF WE
00:24:47LOSE IT THEN WE ABSOLUTELY WILL LOSE NOT ONLY THE AI RACE BUT EVERY OTHER RACE FOR TECHNOLOGY
00:24:51OF THE FUTURE. DASHA: YOU ARE BOTH IN YOUR
00:24:55DISTRICTS NOW NO DOUBT HEARING FROM YOUR COMMUNITIES ON THE GROUND.
00:24:58WE KNOW WITH THE MIDTERMS APPROACHING AFFORDABILITY IS ON
00:25:02A LOT OF FOLKS' MINDS. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS REPORTING FROM NOTICE THIS WEEK. THE KEY ECONOMIC WARNING SIGN
00:25:05THAT COULD UP AND THE MIDTERMS.
00:25:09-- COULD UP IN THE MIDTERMS.
00:25:11-- UP TO THE MIDTERMS.
00:25:14OVER THE PAST WEEK THE BOND MARKET HAS LOOKED MORE THAN A LITTLE QUEASY.
00:25:18THE DETERIORATION OF OUR GHIBLI THE MOST CRITICAL FINANCIAL ASSET IN THE WORLD NOW RISKS RIPPLING THROUGH THE BROADER
00:25:22U.S. ECONOMY IN DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE WAYS -- AND POSSIBLY RIGHT BEFORE THE 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS."
00:25:25CONGRESS WAS SESSIONS, YOU ARE
00:25:26THE FORMER GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR.
00:25:31ARE REPUBLICANS ON SHAKY
00:25:35GROUND HERE HEADING INTO NOVEMBER? REP. SESSIONS: ANY TIME GASOLINE IS THAT IN TEXAS AT $4.00 AND
00:25:40ABOVE, THE PARTY THAT IS IN POWER IS GOING TO SUFFER.
00:25:45SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
00:25:48YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL ECONOMY. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ABILITY
00:25:53TO CREATE JOBS AND HAVE STABLE MARKETPLACES.
00:25:55I'M LESS WORRIED ABOUT THAT AND
00:25:59MORE WORRIED ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO KEEP CREATING JOBS AND TO
00:26:03STAY UP WITH THE NEEDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
00:26:06THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE WORKING IN
00:26:10THE UNITED STATES THAN EVER
00:26:10BEFORE, BUT ALSO A POINT THAT
00:26:17CAN BE MADE, THERE ARE 7 MILLION JOBS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO DO WORK.
00:26:23SO WE HAVE THE BEST OF ONE SIDE,
00:26:26AND YET OUR ECONOMY IS LARGER AND WE NEED MORE WORKERS.
00:26:29I THINK THESE ARE CERTAINLY THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE SAID.
00:26:32THEY NEED TO BE SAID.
00:26:33WE NEED TO MOVE PEOPLE, WHICH IS
00:26:37AN UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION FOR SOME OF US PERHAPS POLITICALLY.
00:26:41MOVE PEOPLE OFF THE GOVERNMENT FOOD STAMPS AND OTHER THINGS AND MOVE THEM INTO WORK.
00:26:45AND YET THESE ARE SEEMINGLY
00:26:49DIFFICULT POSITIONS FOR THE PARTIES.
00:26:53EASY FOR REPUBLICANS TO SAY WE OUGHT TO GO TO WORK.
00:26:56DIFFICULT FOR DEMOCRATS
00:26:58NECESSARILY TO SAY, LET'S GO GET
00:27:00WORK DONE AND DON'T MAKE AS MUCH
00:27:04BUT HAVE AN UNDERPINNING OF GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE THAT WOULD STILL BE AVAILABLE.
00:27:11DASHA: CONGRESSMAN SESSIONS, I WAS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL WITH SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON IN ARIZONA
00:27:14WHERE HE IS STUMPING FOR CANDIDATES IN TWO CRITICAL HOUSE
00:27:18RACES THERE. HE HAS A PRETTY RELENTLESSLY
00:27:22POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON REPUBLICANS RETAINING THE HOUSE IN NOVEMBER.
00:27:26HE CALLED HIMSELF THE AMBASSADOR OF HOPE BECAUSE HE'S POINTING TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF HIS
00:27:30CAUCUS, BUT I WONDER HOW YOU SEE
00:27:35IT, THE REALITY THAT YOU ARE
00:27:37SEEING ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW.
00:27:40HOW SIGNIFICANT ARE THE HEADWINDS FOR REPUBLICANS RIGHT NOW?
00:27:46REP. SESSIONS: BACK IN 2010, WHEN I WAS THE CHAIRMAN, WE WERE
00:27:48BADLY OUTSPENT AND YET WE WON
00:27:50NET 63 SEATS.
00:27:55WE TOOK THE MAJORITY AND GAINED AN EXTRA 23 SEATS IN THE MAJORITY.
00:27:59THERE ARE THESE KINDS OF CHANGES
00:28:01THAT DO HAPPEN, AND YOU CAN SEE
00:28:04IN POLLING, AND YOU CAN SEE IN
00:28:08PEOPLE, HOW THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
00:28:11I THINK MIKE IS VERY AWARE OF THESE THINGS, THE SPEAKER.
00:28:17HE HAS CERTAINLY FOR A LONG TIME TAKING HIS OWN PERSONAL
00:28:21VIEWPOINT OF THIS. AND THAT IS HE BELIEVES WE WILL WIN.
00:28:24I ALWAYS TOOK THE PERSPECTIVE WE COULD WIN IF WE DO THE RIGHT
00:28:28THINGS. AND I LAID OUT TO MY PARTY AND TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHAT I
00:28:32FELT LIKE THOSE THINGS ARE.
00:28:35I THINK IF YOU WANT TO ENTER THIS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE I WOULD
00:28:38SAY, WE ARE GOING TO RUN AGAINST SOCIALISM.
00:28:44THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THEIR DECISION TO MOVE COMPLETELY LEFT
00:28:47WHICH WOULD MOVE AMERICA AWAY FROM GAINING A STRENGTH OF
00:28:52ECONOMICS, MOVING FORWARD FOR A
00:28:55BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR FAMILIES, AND, PERHAPS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM
00:28:58THEY'VE GOT, MOVING US TO WHERE
00:29:01WE ARE SOCIALISTS. I THINK THAT'S A WINNING ISSUE
00:29:05FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. I AM LIKE SPEAKER JOHNSON.
00:29:08I BELIEVE WE CAN AND WE WILL WIN THIS.
00:29:10BUT THE RACE IS GOING TO HAVE TO
00:29:13START, AND THAT'S WHAT LABOR DAY AND AFTER IS ABOUT. DASHA: CONGRESSMAN
00:29:17KRISHNAMOORTHI, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO CIVILLY AND IN THE SPIRIT
00:29:21OF "CEASEFIRE" RESPOND TO WHAT YOU HEARD FROM CONGRESSMAN SESSIONS. I IMAGINE THAT YOU DISAGREE BUT
00:29:25HOW DO YOU THINK THE VICTORY OF
00:29:29CANDIDATES LIKE ABDUL EL-SAYED
00:29:32IN MICHIGAN AND THE ATTACK LINES THAT DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO HEAR
00:29:35FROM REPUBLICANS ON THE
00:29:37INSURGENT LEFT FLANK OF THE PARTY.
00:29:41HOW DO YOU THINK THAT IS ALL PLAYING OUT FOR YOUR PARTY COME
00:29:44NOVEMBER?
00:29:48REP. KRISHNAMOORTHI: I THINK WHAT I SEE IS THAT THE
00:29:51PRESIDENT'S APPROVAL RATINGS AT
00:29:5435%.
00:29:58PEOPLE ARE SO UPSET ABOUT THE
00:29:59PRICE OF GAS, SO UPSET ABOUT THE
00:30:05BEST OF HEALTH CARE, AND HOUSING, AND EDUCATION, LIVING
00:30:08ALONE MAKING SURE THAT THEY STAY EMPLOYED. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK IS
00:30:11GOING ON WITH TARIFFS.
00:30:14THERE IS CHAOS IN TARIFFS. AND OF COURSE THE IRAN WAR.
00:30:18THEY BELIEVE WE ARE NOW IN
00:30:21ANOTHER FOREVER WAR, A QUAGMIRE, WHICH OF THE PRESIDENT PROMISED
00:30:24WE WOULD NOT GET INTO. AND SO WHEN THEY LOOK AT THAT,
00:30:28THEY ARE LIKE, WE WANT A CHANGE.
00:30:31I'M HEARING MORE AND MORE FROM DEMOCRATS, AS WELL AS
00:30:35REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED FOR THE PRESIDENT, SAYING THAT, LOOK, WE'VE GOT TO GO A DIFFERENT
00:30:39DIRECTION AT THIS POINT, AND
00:30:41THAT'S WHY I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT HAKEEM JEFFRIES WILL BECOME
00:30:45THE NEXT SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.
00:30:48AND THEY WANT, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE I TALKED
00:30:51TO, WANT TO HAVE A CHECK ON WHAT THEY FEEL IS EXCESS EXECUTIVE
00:30:54AUTHORITY AND AN OVEREMPHASIS ON
00:30:58THE PRIORITIES THAT THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT.
00:31:00SUCH AS AN ARCH BEING ERECTED IN
00:31:06THE PRESIDENT'S HONOR, OR THE
00:31:08PRESIDENT'S FACE BEING PUT ON
00:31:11MONEY, OR, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BEING SPENT ON
00:31:14RENOVATING THE REFLECTING POOL. THEY DON'T WANT -- THEY DON'T
00:31:18WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THAT STUFF ANYMORE. THEY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF
00:31:22THEIR PRIORITIES.
00:31:22DASHA: CONGRESSMAN SESSIONS, CAN
00:31:26YOU ADDRESS SPECIFICALLY THE IRAN WAR AND ITS DOMESTIC IMPACTS?
00:31:31YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT PRICES OVER $4.00 A GALLON IN TEXAS ARE
00:31:33OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE PRACTICALLY AND
00:31:36POLITICALLY FOR REPUBLICANS.
00:31:43BUT DO YOU THINK THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE ENOUGH, AND
00:31:45WHAT MAYBE MORE DO YOU WANT TO
00:31:48SEE FROM HIM IN EXPLAINING WHAT
00:31:50HE'S DOING OVERSEAS AND EMPATHIZING WITH VOTERS ABOUT
00:31:54HOW IT'S IMPACTING THEM HERE AT HOME? REP. SESSIONS: WELL, I WOULD
00:31:57TEND TO WANT TO SAY THAT I WANT TO HEAR LESS FROM THE PRESIDENT ABOUT THE EXPECTATIONS AND MORE
00:32:01ABOUT THE REALITY OF THE
00:32:03DIRECTION WE REALLY WANT TO GO.
00:32:05I THINK THE PRESIDENT GIVES A DAILY UPDATE ABOUT THE WAR.
00:32:08I THINK THAT WE HAVE SEEN WHERE WE WERE AT NINE OR 10 STRAIGHT
00:32:12DAYS WHERE WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE IRANIANS BACK TO THE TABLE.
00:32:16THAT WAS BASED UPON OUR FRIENDS
00:32:19IN PAKISTAN AND ELSEWHERE TRYING
00:32:21TO GET US TO WORK.
00:32:24THERE WAS A TERM, YOU KNOW, A
00:32:27COUPLE WEEKS AGO ABOUT GIVE PEACE A CHANCE.
00:32:31WELL, THE IRANIANS DON'T WANT THAT.
00:32:34THE IRANIANS WANT SOMETHING
00:32:38ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.
00:32:41AND THAT'S WHY EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE PRESIDENT SAY ONE THING, WHICH I THINK IS VERY TRUTHFUL FROM THE
00:32:45PAKISTANI AND OTHER SAUDIS IN THE REGION, THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, TOO, AND THEY WANT US
00:32:49TO MOVE TO AN AGREEMENT. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IN THE
00:32:53SCHEME OF THINGS THAT IS WHERE IT WILL HEAD. AND SO I THINK WE OUGHT TO GO
00:32:56INTO SOME BIT OF A SILENCE, GET
00:33:00PEOPLE AT THE TABLE, LET'S CUT A
00:33:02DEAL, LET'S QUIT TALKING ABOUT WHO'S DOING WHAT AND GET OUR
00:33:06LEADERS FROM SAUDI ARABIA,
00:33:08PAKISTAN, TURKEY, AND OTHER
00:33:12PLACES TO SIT DOWN AND SAY, IT'S IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO COME TO A DEAL.
00:33:16AND THEN YOU HAVE LARGE GROUPS
00:33:18OF PEOPLE, OTHER COUNTRIES, THAT ARE PLACING THEIR PRESTIGE DONE
00:33:23ON ONE SIDE OR ANOTHER, BUT ABOUT ENDING THE WAR AND MAKING
00:33:26IT A JUST AND LASTING PEACE. THAT'S WHAT I THINK.
00:33:30THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. DASHA: THAT'S ENOUGH TALKING FROM THE PRESIDENT ABOUT IT.
00:33:34WE ARE AT ENOUGH TALKING FROM US
00:33:39-- WE ARE AT A TIME, SO THAT'S ENOUGH TALKING FROM US HERE, TOO. DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN RAJA
00:33:42KRISHNAMOORTHI AND TEXAS REVOKING CONGRESSMAN PETE SESSIONS, THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH.
00:33:46>> THANK YOU BOTH. >> YOU'VE SEEN PEOPLE ARE NOT RUNNING FOR ME. MY NUMBERS AND FUNDRAISING ARE STRONG.
00:33:50SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON, EVERYONE ELSE, THEY ARE STANDING BEHIND ME. NOBODY HAS TOLD ME TO GET OFF
00:33:54THE BALLOT. THAT'S BECAUSE THEY KNOW I CAN WIN.
00:33:58>> I HAVE BEEN INTELLECTUALLY CONSISTENT, SINCE BEFORE I BECAME SPEAKER AND CERTAINLY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
00:34:02THIS APPLIES EQUALLY TO REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS. WE DON'T TAKE DISCIPLINARY
00:34:06ACTION AGAINST MEMBERS FOR ALLEGATIONS.
00:34:09HE IS VEHEMENTLY DENYING THIS.
00:34:12IT IS IN HIS OWN WORDS A NASTY DIVORCE PROCEEDING AND IT'S GOTTEN UGLY AND PUBLIC
00:34:17BUT HE'S SAYING THE SAME THINGS PRIVATELY THAT HE IS PUBLICLY THAT HE DENIES ALL THIS.
00:34:21HE THINKS IT'S A AHIT JOB. DASHA: WILL YOU TELL HIM TO
00:34:23DROP OUT?
00:34:26REP. JOHNSON: NO. THESE ARE TEARS ALLEGATIONS. I'M A FATHER OF TWO DAUGHTERS
00:34:30THAT WORK ON CAPITOL HILL. THE ALLEGATIONS ARE SERIOUS.
00:34:34I THINK MAX IS TAKING THEM SERIOUSLY. I THINK OUR COLLEAGUES ARE.
00:34:38AGAIN, WE HAVE TO ALLOW THIS PROCESS TO PLAY OUT. IT'S JUST BEGUN.
00:34:41DASHA: THAT WAS REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN MAX MILLER, WHO
00:34:44IS BEEN UNDER FIRE OVER ABUSE ALLEGATIONS, AND SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON WEIGHING IN.
00:34:47TO TALK ABOUT THIS AND OTHER
00:34:52LOCAL STORIES, I AM JOINED BY TWO PROS.
00:34:55DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST MICHAEL HARDAWAY AND FORMER
00:35:00COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR AND SENIOR ADVISOR FOR THEN-HOUSE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS CHAIR HAKEEM
00:35:05JEFFRIES, AND REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST JOHN FEEHERY, PRESS SECRETARY FOR FORMER REPUBLICAN HOUSE SPEAKER DENNIS HASTERT.
00:35:08THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
00:35:09I APPRECIATE IT.
00:35:12LET'S GET INTO WHAT WE JUST SAW THERE.
00:35:14THIS HAS BEEN A VERY HOT TOPIC THIS WEEK.
00:35:17OF COURSE, THE ALLEGATIONS ARE INCREDIBLY SERIOUS AND MAX
00:35:21MILLER SAYS HE'S NOT BACKING DOWN.
00:35:25HE'S BEEN VERY MUCH OUT THERE.
00:35:27DOING A REAL MEDIA BLITZ IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS.
00:35:30WHAT DO YOU MAKE STRATEGICALLY OF HOW HE IS HANDLING THE SITUATION?
00:35:33>> WELL, I THOUGHT THE CNN
00:35:37INTERVIEW WAS A BIT OF A DISASTER, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
00:35:42HE'S TRYING TO FIGHT BACK, OBVIOUSLY.
00:35:44THIS IS A VERY, VERY TOUGH DIVORCE. AND WHEN YOU GET INVOLVED IN
00:35:47DIVORCE BATTLES YOU REALLY KIND
00:35:52OF, AS A POLITICIAN, WANT TO STAY OUT OF IT.
00:35:55FOR MIKE JOHNSON, THE POLITICAL CALCULATION IS, IS HE GOING TO LOSE HIS SEAT?
00:35:59IF HE'S GOING TO LOSE THIS SEAT BECAUSE OF A NASTY DIVORCE AND THE ALLEGATIONS ARE TERRIBLE, TOO, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO
00:36:03GET THEM OUT OF THERE.
00:36:07YOU SAW IT EARLIER THIS WEEK --
00:36:10OR LAST WEEK -- CHUCK EDWARDS WAS ASKED TO QUIT BECAUSE HE HAD
00:36:14SOME OTHER ALLEGATIONS. DASHA: EDWARDS STEP DOWN.
00:36:21JOHNSON ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH HIM AND ENCOURAGED HIM TO DO THE
00:36:23RIGHT THING -- AS ONE SOURCE TOLD ME.
00:36:26YET FOR JOHNSON, FOR LEADERSHIP
00:36:29IN THESE POSITIONS, HOW DO YOU
00:36:32-- HOW DO YOU THINK HE IS HANDLING THIS? IS HE DOING THE RIGHT THING HERE?
00:36:36>> I THINK HE'S HANDLING IT AS
00:36:40WELL AS HE COULD. BERNIE MORENO, THE SENATOR, THE
00:36:42FATHER IN LAW, ONLY RECENTLY GOT
00:36:46ENGAGED WITH THIS PUBLICLY HIMSELF. THIS IS REALLY NASTY.
00:36:49DASHA: THIS ALLEGATIONS FROM HIS
00:36:54WIFE INCLUDE HOLDING A GUN TO HER HEAD POURING HOT , WATER ON HER, BREAKING THEIR
00:36:59DAUGHTER'S COLLARBONE. >> THESE ARE TERRIBLE OBLIGATIONS AND HE DENIES THEM.
00:37:02IF YOU ARE MIKE JOHNSON AND YOU HAVE A MEMBER WHO IS VEHEMENTLY DENYING THESE TERRIBLE
00:37:05ALLEGATIONS, YOU KNOW, YOU TYPICALLY WANT TO GO TO THE
00:37:09ETHICS COMMITTEE FIRST TO HAVE THEM LOOK INTO IT.
00:37:13AND THEN YOU KIND OF RELY ON WHAT THE ACTUAL POLITICAL -- AT
00:37:16POLICE AUTHORITIES ARE SAYING --
00:37:18BEFORE YOU COME IN THERE.
00:37:21NOW, THERE IS THAT LEGAL STUFF
00:37:23YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND THEN THERE IS THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS.
00:37:28IF HE'S GOING TO LOSE THE SEAT, YOU SAY, YOU'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF THERE BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO
00:37:31LOSE THE SEAT. IT'S REALLY BAD. THESE ARE THE THINGS MIKE
00:37:34JOHNSON IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
00:37:35DASHA: TIME HAS BASICALLY ALMOST
00:37:39RUN OUT FOR MILLER TO DROP OUT AND HE'S SAYING HE'S STAYING IN.
00:37:43WHAT DO DEMOCRATS SEE GOING ON HERE, AND IS THIS A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY?
00:37:46>> I THINK IT IS, BUT I DON'T
00:37:51THINK DEMOCRATS SHOULD WEIGH IN AND THROW GASOLINE ON THE FIRE IN TERMS OF
00:37:55THE DOMESTIC SITUATION. HE HAS BEEN ALLEGEDLY -- SAYING
00:37:59AN ALLEGATION IS NOT A CONVICTION ABOUT THE POLITICAL ARENA IS NOT A COURTHOUSE.
00:38:02HE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE CONVICTED
00:38:05TO BE SOMEONE WHO SHOULDN'T BE HOLDING THE SEAT OR RUNNING THIS CAMPAIGN.
00:38:08DEMOCRATS SHOULD AGGRESSIVELY POUR MONEY INTO THIS BUT FOCUS ON THE SUBSTANCE AND THE IDEA THAT THE ECONOMY IS
00:38:12IN BAD SHAPE.
00:38:13DASHA: IT'S INTERESTING.
00:38:16HIS DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT IS NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS AT ALL. >> I THINK IT IS THE RIGHT THING
00:38:19TO DO. AT THE END OF THAT, THE VOTER
00:38:22CARES ABOUT ONE THING FOR US --
00:38:26-- ONE THING FIRST. THEMSELVES. WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR ME? THE ECONOMY IS IN BAD SHAPE. WHAT YOU DOING TO FIX IT, HOW DO
00:38:30YOU BRING DOWN PRICES? FOCUS ON THOSE THINGS. THAT IS HOW YOU WIN THE SEAT. NOT THROW GASOLINE ON THIS UGLY
00:38:33DIVORCE PROCEEDING.
00:38:35DASHA: THE MOST INTERESTING
00:38:39PARTS OF MILLER'S RESPONSE TO ME IS HOW HE'S INVOKING THE TRUMP MODEL. HE SET IT ON CNN AND HE SAID IT
00:38:43A NUMBER OF TIMES SINCE THAT,
00:38:46YOU KNOW, HE'S LOOKING AT 2016
00:38:50AND THE SCANDALS THAT
00:38:55THEN-CANDIDATE TRUMP WAS EMBROILED IN AND IT STILL BECAME
00:38:58PRESIDENT, AND HE WAS DEFIANT IN THAT CASE.
00:39:00AND HE IS TRYING TO, SORT OF, DO THE SAME THING.
00:39:03BUT ONE THING I HEAR FROM A LOT
00:39:05OF REPUBLICANS IS, THERE ARE A LOT OF CANDIDATES THAT THINK
00:39:08THEY CAN BE TRUMP TO, AND NOBODY
00:39:12CAN REPLICATE WHAT TRUMP HAS BEEN ABLE TO DO. >> AND, ALSO, THIS IS HIS EX-WIFE.
00:39:16THIS IS NOT SOME SORT OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST MAX
00:39:18MILLER.
00:39:21IT'S, LIKE, REALLY UGLY -- TO YOUR POINT, DEMOCRATS ARE STAYING OUT OF THIS, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING
00:39:25THE DEMOCRATS ARE ENGAGED IN.
00:39:29YOU CAN BE DEFIANT, BUT THIS IS A REALLY UGLY DIVORCE PROCEEDING
00:39:32SPILLING OUT ON THE PAGES. AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW,
00:39:36IT'S DEFINITELY NOT A POLITICAL ATTACK. IS THIS GOOD FOR YOUR FAMILY FOR
00:39:39YOU TO STAY IN THE RACE IS I THINK THE QUESTION ANY POLITICAL
00:39:44CANDIDATE -- ANYONE FOR OFFICE -- IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF
00:39:47CONGRESS, YOU ARE NOT BEQUEATHED THIS JOB.
00:39:51IT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU HAVE BY DIVINE RIGHT.
00:39:53IF YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT
00:39:57IS NOT REALLY IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CONGRESS AS AN
00:40:00INSTITUTION, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY THINK, HEY, MAYBE I SHOULD STEP DOWN.
00:40:03DASHA: THIS OBVIOUSLY HAS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE MIDTERMS.
00:40:07I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RACE TO HOLD THE HOUSE AND SENATE FOR
00:40:11REPUBLICANS AND TO TAKE IT FOR
00:40:12DEMOCRATS.
00:40:16PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS PICKED UP MORE VICTORIES THIS WEEK,
00:40:19SPECIFICALLY IN MICHIGAN IS WHAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN WATCHING.
00:40:23REUTERS WRITES, "PROGRESSIVE AL SAYED WINS
00:40:29AND JOLTS THE DEMOCRATS. COULD INTENSIFY DEBATE WITHIN DEMOCRATIC RANKS --
00:40:31MICHAEL, WHAT IS THE SIGNALING
00:40:40ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
00:40:42AREFOLKS IN THE DSA CAMP AND TRY
00:41:51TO SAY THEY ARE REPRESENTED OF THE ENTIRE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. HOW ARE YOU WATCHING YOUR PARTY PLAY THIS?
00:41:55>> WELL, I MEAN, IT IS VERY
00:42:00INTERESTING BECAUSE THE DEMOCRATS ARE NOT CALLING THEMSELVES SOCIALISTS. DASHA: SOME OF THEM.
00:42:03>> THIS PORTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND I THINK
00:42:07WHETHER REPUBLICANS WILL DO, TO YOUR POINT, THIS IS WHAT THE
00:42:10DEMOCRATS HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED, AND THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF SOCIALIST.
00:42:14AND I THINK THE PROBLEM FOR REPUBLICANS IS SOCIALISM IS NOT
00:42:16WHAT IT USED TO BE AS A POLITICAL BOGEYMAN.
00:42:20AND SO, YOU HAVE TO KIND OF FLUSH IT OUT FOR PEOPLE. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
00:42:24AND TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES A LOT OF THESE CANDIDATES ARE PUSHING ON THE FAR LEFT.
00:42:28GET RID OF POLICE, GET RID OF I.C.E., MAKE SURE THAT
00:42:32BILLIONAIRES, UM, HAVE NO MONEY, AND IT IS GIVEN TO THE POOR.
00:42:37YOU KNOW, ALL THE SOCIALIST STUFF THEY HAVE BEEN PUSHING. MAKE SURE YOU PUT THE MEET ON
00:42:41THE BONE. AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
00:42:44IN MICHIGAN IS REALLY, APEC
00:42:48POURED SO MUCH MONEY IN FOR STEVENS AND THIS IS A DRAMATIC
00:42:52DIFFERENCE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WHO BY A LARGE HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ISRAEL OVER
00:42:55THE YEARS AND NOW HAS TAKEN A TURN AGAINST ISRAEL.
00:42:58I THINK THAT IS A SEA CHANGE,
00:43:02THAT REPUBLICANS WILL TRY TO SEIZE ON.
00:43:03DASHA: I WAS OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN
00:43:06TRAIL WITH MIKE JOHNSON AND PART
00:43:07OF HIS PITCH TO VOTERS IS TO
00:43:11CREATE THIS CONTRAST.
00:43:12HE SAYS, YOU'RE CHOOSING BETWEEN
00:43:17COMMON AND COMMUNISM. AND I ASKED HIM ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN MICHIGAN.
00:43:22WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT SAYS ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR REPUBLICANS?
00:43:25>> I THINK IT, IT IS EXACTLY
00:43:28WHAT WE PREDICTED IS GOING TO HAPPEN. THERE WILL BE MORE DISARRAY IN THE PARTY.
00:43:33THE ESTABLISHMENT DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS IN REAL TROUBLE.
00:43:35YOU H
00:43:39>> I THINK YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE
00:43:43THE OLD-SCHOOL DEMOCRATS LEAVING THE PARTY.
00:43:45>> MICHAEL, YOU SAID YOU WOULD
00:43:49WELCOME DEMOCRATS LEAVING THE PARTY.
00:43:53ARE YOU HOPPING ON THAT TRAIN? >> THAT'S NONSENSE.
00:43:57LET'S REMEMBER SOMETHING. PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT
00:44:00COMMUNISM MEANS OR SOCIALISM.
00:44:03WHAT I HAVE TOLD DEMOCRATS TO DO IS THEY SHOULD TAKE THAT FIGHT
00:44:06TO REPUBLICANS WHO ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOCIALISM.
00:44:12DONALD TRUMP HAS TAKEN STAKES IN
00:44:13MORE THAN 30 AMERICAN COMPANIES, PRIVATE COMPANIES.
00:44:18THAT IS SOCIALISM. DO NOT JUST WAIT TO BE ATTACKED IN TERMS OF THESE CANDIDATES.
00:44:23LET'S DEFINE THE RECORD. THE RECORD IS A SITTING
00:44:26PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. THAT IS SOCIALIST.
00:44:31>> HAVE DEMOCRATS TAKING YOUR
00:44:35ADVICE ON THAT?
00:44:38>> THIS IS A RECENT CONVERSATION.
00:44:41THIS IS MY BIGGEST ISSUE WITH DEMOCRATS.
00:44:45HOPEFULLY THAT CHANGES.
00:44:46>> WHAT IS INTERESTING
00:44:50ESPECIALLY IN THE BIGGER CITIES
00:44:51IS THIS INFLUX OF WHITE LIBERAL
00:44:55YOUNG PEOPLE SETTING THE TERMS FOR THE DEBATE.
00:44:59THEY ARE VOTING A LOT MORE.
00:45:01IT SCARES A LOT OF THEM.
00:45:04THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT AND THEY
00:45:07HAVE NEVER HAD TO PAY FOR THEIR
00:45:13OWN LATTE BEFORE. THIS HAS A REAL TENSION IN THE
00:45:17DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
00:45:19DO I THINK AMERICAN VOTERS ARE
00:45:22GOING TO CALL REPUBLICANS.
00:45:26I DON'T THINK SO.
00:45:27DASHA: WHAT DO YOU THINK
00:45:31ABOUT THAT?
00:45:32>> THE CDC MORE THAN 50 YEARS
00:45:39AGO INTRODUCED TO MEDICARE FOR ALL. AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
00:45:43THESE ARE ALL CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS EFFORTS. I THINK MANY BLACK DEMOCRATS
00:45:46FEEL AS THOUGH THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE OVER THE DECADES HAS
00:45:50BEEN CO-OPTED BY THIS GROUP OF YOUNG AFFLUENT WHITE PEOPLE WHO
00:45:54HAVE MOVED INTO URBAN CITIES. THERE IS FRICTION THERE BUT IT
00:45:57IS NOT NEW.
00:45:59THE CBC HAS BEEN FIGHTING FOR THIS FOR DECADES.
00:46:04JOHN CONYERS WAS THE ORIGINAL DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST.
00:46:06DASHA: WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE
00:46:10YOUNG FOLKS WHO ARE PART OF THE
00:46:13DSA MOVEMENT AND CO-OPTING SOME
00:46:16OF WHAT THE CBC HAS DONE?
00:46:18>> JUMP ON THE TRAIN BUT DO NOT
00:46:22PRETEND AS THOUGH YOU CREATED THIS MOVEMENT.
00:46:25THIS IS THE CONVERSATION HAPPENING IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY BETWEEN BLACK DEMOCRATS
00:46:29AND THE DSA. THEY ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO
00:46:32JOIN BUT YOU DID NOT START THIS MOVEMENT.
00:46:35I THINK WITH LEADER JEFFRIES AND OTHER BLACK DEMOCRATIC LEADERS
00:46:38SOME OF THIS IS THE MAIN ISSUE.
00:46:44DASHA: I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A
00:46:48POTENTIAL THIRD PARTY MOVEMENT. THERE IS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THIS IMAGE POSTED BY MARJORIE
00:46:52TAYLOR GREENE AT A COMPOUND.
00:46:59KENTUCKY REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN THOMAS MASSIE WAS IN ATTENDANCE.
00:47:03TUCKER CARLSON UNVEILED A 10 POINT MANIFESTO. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING?
00:47:06>> PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHATEVER
00:47:11HAPPENED WITH TUCKER CARLSON.
00:47:14HE SEEMS LIKE A REASONABLE GUY.
00:47:15DASHA: HE STILL HAS A MASSIVE
00:47:19FOLLOWING. CAN YOU REALLY BRUSH THAT OFF?
00:47:20>> I DO THINK THAT PRESENCE IN
00:47:28IRAN HAS LEFT A MARK WITH
00:47:31MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, TUCKER
00:47:34CARLSON AND THERE ARE A LOT OF YOUNG VOTERS WHO REALLY THOUGHT
00:47:38THAT TRUMP MEANT NO MORE WARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND I THINK THAT
00:47:41THEY ARE, I DON'T THINK THEY
00:47:43WILL START A DINNER PARTY. I THINK A LOT OF THEM ARE NOT GOING TO VOTE.
00:47:48THAT IS REALLY PROBLEMATIC. TRUMP HAS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO
00:47:51GET OUT OF THIS IRAN WAR WHICH
00:47:53IS FROM A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE FAR RIGHT SCENE AS TREACHERY.
00:47:58I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO START A THIRD PARTY ESPECIALLY IN A MIDTERM
00:48:02ELECTION. I THINK TUCKER IS GOING TO RUN
00:48:05IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY IN 2028.
00:48:08DASHA: WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT
00:48:12WOULD MEAN FOR REPUBLICANS?
00:48:15ARE PEOPLE SCARED OR EXCITED BY THAT?
00:48:17>> I DON'T THINK PEOPLE ARE SCARED BY IT.
00:48:21I THINK SOME PEOPLE ARE EXCITED.
00:48:23ALSO YOU SEE JD VANCE, I DON'T
00:48:26KNOW IF YOU SAW HIS INTERVIEW WITH JOE ROGAN.
00:48:30HE EMBRACED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT TUCKER CARLSON WAS SAYING OBLIQUELY.
00:48:34HE HAS PORTRAYED HIMSELF AS AN ANTIWAR PERSON. IF HE DOES GET THE NOMINATION,
00:48:38HE WILL BE SOMEONE WHO SAYS WHAT
00:48:41AM I GOING TO DO WITH ANY MORE
00:48:44WARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST? THAT SATISFIES SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE ANGRY ABOUT THIS MORE.
00:48:47DASHA: IF CARLSON RUNS AS A
00:48:52THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATE, DOES THAT THREAT TO FRACTURE THE GOP?
00:48:54>> I THINK HE'S GOT A HUGE
00:48:59ONLINE PRESENCE. I DON'T THINK SO. THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T VOTE THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS
00:49:03ANYWAY. DASHA: FORGET MIDTERMS. I'M TALKING 2028.
00:49:06>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO BARELY VOTE LIKE TUCKER CARLSON.
00:49:10DASHA: THAT WAS TRUMP'S ENTIRE
00:49:14STRATEGY TO BRING OUT THE LOW PROPENSITY VOTERS AND IT DID WORK OUT.
00:49:17>> IT HELPED THEM A LOT BUT I
00:49:20DON'T THINK IT GOT THEM OVER THE LINE. I THINK IT HELPED HIS MARGINS.
00:49:25THE FACT IS YOU ARE GOING TO SEE AN EFFORT BY CANDIDATES IN THE
00:49:29PARTY TO EMBRACE THOSE WHO ARE
00:49:32AFFECTED BY THIS WAR AND I THINK IT IS GOING TO BE JD VANCE.
00:49:35DASHA: MICHAEL, HOW CLOSELY ARE DEMOCRATS WATCHING THIS?
00:49:39>> THEY SHOULD BE POURING GASOLINE ONTO THE FIRE.
00:49:44THERE IS NO THING AS THE
00:49:50REPUBLICAN PARTY. THERE IS THE TRUMP PARTY.
00:49:53I WILL TAKE THE OTHER SIDE. I HAVE TALKED TO SOME OF THE
00:49:57REPUBLICANS ABOUT IT AND THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO LEAN LARGE ON
00:50:00THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEY HAVE SAID PRIVATELY THEY DON'T TRUST THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ANY
00:50:04LONGER BECAUSE TRUMP IS A PROBLEM.
00:50:07THEY ARE AFRAID TO CONFRONT THEM PUBLICLY ABOUT WHEN HE LEAVES, ONCE IS LEFT?
00:50:12WHAT DEMOCRATS SHOULD BE DOING IS POURING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
00:50:17INTO THIS CONVERSATION ONLINE AND ON TV CREATING A DIVIDE.
00:50:21I THINK THEY SHOULD BE INVOLVED.
00:50:24IF THE ROLES WERE SWITCHED REPUBLICANS WOULD BE POURING
00:50:27MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AS THEY SHOULD.
00:50:31DASHA: THIS IS THAT FIGHT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.
00:50:35MICHAEL: ABSOLUTELY.
00:50:38DASHA: LET'S MOVE TO THE FIGHT ON THANKSGIVING.
00:50:44DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST FRANCESCA
00:50:46HONG IS A CANDIDATE IN THE
00:50:52DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY THERE. LET'S LISTEN.
00:50:53>> I AM A CHEF AND ONE OF THE
00:50:57FIRST MEALS THAT I MADE THAT WAS
00:50:59FOR THE COMMUNITY WHEN I WAS 16
00:51:01WAS A THANKSGIVING MEAL.
00:51:05I ALWAYS THINK MY HOSPITALITY BACKGROUND AND OWNING A
00:51:08RESTAURANT FOR EIGHT YEARS THAT
00:51:10BRINGING FOLKS AROUND THE TABLE TO SHARE CONVERSATION AND BUILD COMMUNITY IS ALWAYS A GOOD
00:51:14THING. BUT THANKSGIVING IS ALSO A TIME
00:51:18THAT IS INCREDIBLY PAINFUL FOR MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
00:51:21I THINK THERE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THAT
00:51:25THERE WERE MULTIPLE VIEWS BUT VIEWS CAN EVOLVE.
00:51:31WITH MY BACKGROUND AS A CHEF, IT
00:51:34WILL ACTUALLY HELP ME BECOME A BETTER GOVERNOR WHO IS ABLE TO
00:51:38BRING MORE PEOPLE TO THE TABLE.
00:51:39DASHA: SHE CAME TO POLITICO TO
00:51:43FOLLOW UP ON THAT POINT.
00:51:45>> MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY IS
00:51:48THANKSGIVING. >> THERE YOU HAVE IT.
00:51:52>> YEP.
00:51:56I DON'T WANT TO CANCEL IT. I ACTUALLY LOVE IT.
00:52:01FAMILY MEMBERS AND THEIR IN-LAWS
00:52:03AND IT IS A BIG EVENT.
00:52:07I AM GOING TO BE REAL. I AM A CURMUDGEON WHEN IT COMES TO HOLIDAYS IN GENERAL.
00:52:11DASHA: OK, MY GOAL.
00:52:16STRATEGIST HAT ON. YOU ARE ADVISING DEMOCRATS.
00:52:20YOU HAVE IDEAS. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT CLEANUP ?
00:52:26MICHAEL: THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION IS NONSENSE.
00:52:29ABOUT THANKSGIVING AND WHAT SHE THINKS, ALL OF THAT IS NONSENSE
00:52:33AND MEANINGLESS. VOTERS DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT. VOTERS CARE ABOUT THE FACT THAT
00:52:36GAS IS MORE THAN FOUR DOLLARS PER GALLON AND ELECTRICITY BILLS ARE UP.
00:52:40THAT IS WHAT DEMOCRATS SHOULD FOCUS ON. I WILL SAY THIS.
00:52:44I THINK I SAW BERNIE SANDERS IS NOT EVEN SUPPORTING THIS PERSON.
00:52:47DASHA: HE'S NOT. MICHAEL:
00:52:50I WILL SAY THIS. BY THE WAY, I THINK I SAW THE BERNIE SANDERS IS NOT SUPPORTING THIS PERSON. DASHA: HE'S NOT.
00:52:54>> THAT IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW. SO THIS IS AN OUTLIER. IN AN ERA OF VERY SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS AND ISSUES WE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT.
00:52:59DASHA: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THANKSGIVING? >> I TEND TO LIKE IT. SOMETIMES I EAT TOO MUCH. I LOVE WATCHING FOOTBALL AND
00:53:02BEING WITH THE FAMILY. I THINK THIS IS POLITICALLY, A DISASTER FOR THE DEMOCRATS.
00:53:06I THINK THE FACT THAT SHE IS A
00:53:09LEADING CANDIDATE AND WISCONSIN IS A VERY IMPORTANT STATE,
00:53:12ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO LEADING UP TO 2028.
00:53:14IT IS A SWING STATE.
00:53:22THE OTHER THING, SHE ALSO SAID SHE'S UNCOMFORTABLE AROUND WHITE PEOPLE. WISCONSIN IS AN OVERWHELMINGLY
00:53:25WHITE STATE. SO, THESE ARE THE KIND OF COMMENTS THAT SHOW WERE TO BE
00:53:28OUT OF THE MAINSTREAM OF, UM, OF THE WISCONSIN THOUGHT. SHE IS NOT, SHE IS NOT TYPICAL
00:53:32WISCONSIN PROGRESSIVE.
00:53:33SHE IS A LEFT-WINGER WHO IS
00:53:39TO PLAY AS A PROGRESSIVE. THE FACT THE BERNIE SANDERS IS NOT ENDORSING HER AND YET SHE IS STILL LEADING THE PRIMER, IS A
00:53:42DISASTER FOR DEMOCRATS. DASHA: LET'S TRAVEL FROM THE MIDWEST TO THE SOUTH AND TALK
00:53:45ABOUT TAXES.
00:53:49-- ABOUT TEXAS. AXIOS IS SUMMING UP THE SITUATION LIKE THIS.
00:53:53POLLS HAVE SHOWN DEMOCRAT JAMES TALARICO NARROWLY AHEAD OF TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON IN
00:53:56THAT STATE'S CRUCIAL RACE FOR
00:53:57THE U.S. SENATE.
00:54:01THE LATEST RELEASED TUESDAY
00:54:03MORNING HAD TALARICO UP 47% TO
00:54:0845%. NOT EVERYONE IS BUYING IT
00:54:12THOUGH. NBC REPORTS REPRESENTATIVE JASMINE CROCKETT SAID SHE SKEPTICAL HER FORMER
00:54:17SENATE PRIMARY RIVAL JAMES TALARICO CAN TURN TEXAS BLUE THIS FALL. I DON'T KNOW, SHE TOLD NBC NEWS,
00:54:20CROCKETT SAYS SHE DOES NOT BY THE GENERAL ELECTION POLLS
00:54:22SAYING THAT THEY OVERSTATED
00:54:25DEMOCRATS' PROSPECTS IN TEXAS. I WATCH MONEY AND WHEN I LOOK AT MONEY IF REPUBLICANS START SPENDING MONEY IN TEXAS AND I'LL
00:54:29BE CONVINCED."
00:54:35MICHAEL, THE WHITE WHALE OF
00:54:37TEXAS FOR DEMOCRATS -- IS IT A
00:54:40REAL POSSIBILITY? IS THIS WISHFUL THINKING?
00:54:44IS TALARICO THE GUY TO DO IT? MICHAEL: WE ARE ALMOST THERE. DASHA: THAT IS A LOT OF ALMOSTS.
00:54:50MICHAEL: FOR YEARS. BUT I THINK TALARICO IS A REALLY GOOD CANDIDATE.
00:54:53THE ECONOMY IS IN BAD SHAPE. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE IS TERRIBLE.
00:54:57THIS PERSON IS A CRIMINAL, RIGHT? HE WAS IMPEACHED BY HIS OWN
00:54:59PARTY.
00:55:03HE WENT THROUGH THIS UGLY DIVORCE. I THINK DEMOCRATS HAVE A UNIQUE
00:55:08OPPORTUNITY TO WIN THIS SEAT. I THINK THE MONEY AS THEY ARE. I'M DISAPPOINTED WITH WHAT
00:55:11CROCKETT SAID IN TERMS OF HOW SHE'S HANDLING THIS. THIS COULD BE A REAL PICK UP.
00:55:15I DON'T KNOW IF WE ARE THERE YET, BUT I THINK IN THE NEAR
00:55:18FUTURE DEMOCRATS CAN WIN STATEWIDE IN TEXAS. DASHA: ARE REPUBLICANS SWEATING
00:55:21AT ALL HERE?
00:55:28JOHN: THEY SHOULD SWEAT A LITTLE BIT. KEN PAXTON IS NOT A GREAT CANDIDATE. HE'S BEEN OFF IN EUROPE, HAS NOT
00:55:32BEEN CAMPAIGNING. HE ALSO HAD MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
00:55:35RUN AGAINST HIM BY JOHN CORNYN. IN THE PRIMARY.
00:55:38DASHA: IT WAS AN UGLY PRIMARY.
00:55:43JOHN: EVERYBODY KNOWS PAXTON. HE'S WON MANY TIMES. I THINK HE WILL WIN.
00:55:46I THINK CROCKETT IS RIGHT. HAD THE DEMOCRATS PUT FORWARD A CANDIDATE LIKE LLOYD BENSON
00:55:49TYPE, THEY WOULD BE WINNING THIS
00:55:52, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE ANYMORE. SO I THINK REPUBLICANS WILL WIN THIS PRETTY COMFORTABLY.
00:55:56DASHA: BEFORE I LET YOU BOTH GO, I'M CURIOUS TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON ON THE
00:55:59HILL WITH DR. ANTHONY FAUCI.
00:56:01THIS WEEK.
00:56:06DR. FAUCI'S DECISION TO PLEAD THE FIFTH IS NOT GOING OVER
00:56:11WELL. THAT SENATE INTEL COMMITTEE VOTED TO HOLD DR. FAUCI AND
00:56:14CONTEMPT OVER REFUSAL TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
00:56:17IS THIS ALL POLITICAL, A POLITICAL FIGHT THAT VOTERS WANT TO SEE?
00:56:22JOHN: I THINK SOME VOTERS WANT TO SEE IT. I THINK SOME PEOPLE, THAT IS
00:56:25WHAT I CALL THE SILENT MAJORITY THAT ARE REALLY UPSET WITH WHAT HAPPENED DURING COVID. REALLY UPSET WHAT HAPPENED WITH
00:56:29WHAT DR. FAUCI DID WITH CLOSING
00:56:33THANKS, AND THE FACT THAT HE WOULD NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS,
00:56:36I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR REPUBLICANS TO TRY TO GET ACCOUNTABILITY.
00:56:40THAT BEING SAID, THIS KINDA BREAKS DOWN ON PARTISAN LINES.
00:56:44IF YOU ARE A DEMOCRAT YOU TEND TO SUPPORT AND LOVE FAUCI. IF YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN YOU TEND
00:56:48TO HATE FAUCI. THE INTERESTING PART OF THIS NARRATIVE IS WHERE IS TRUMP?
00:56:52HE LOVED FAUCI DURING MUCH OF
00:56:54COVID AND NOW HE HATES HIM.
00:56:58SO HE IS KIND OF WHERE THE HEART OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS RIGHT
00:57:01NOW.
00:57:02A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKED DR. FAUCI
00:57:06DURING THE COVID LOCKDOWNS, AND THEY TRUSTED HIM, AND NOW THEY HAVE COMPLETELY TURNED ON HIM.
00:57:10DASHA: MICHAEL, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOW DR. FAUCI
00:57:14PLAYED THIS HIMSELF? MICHAEL: I THINK BULLYING AN
00:57:1785-YEAR-OLD MAN IS A PATHETIC THING IN AN ERA WITH ALL OF THESE VERY SERIOUS SITUATIONS. I THINK HE DID THE RIGHT THING.
00:57:21WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO COVID AND
00:57:22REMEMBER THERE WAS SO MUCH WE
00:57:26DIDN'T KNOW IN TERMS OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. WE HAD MORE THAN A MILLION
00:57:29AMERICANS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES DUE TO COVID. NOW, YEARS LATER, WE ARE GOING
00:57:33TO RE-LEGISLATE THIS AND
00:57:38PRETEND LIKE WE HAD ALL THE ANSWERS. THAT'S NOT AN HONEST THING. YES, THIS IS REDMEAT FOR
00:57:42RIGHT-WING VOTERS WHO HATE THE GUY. BUT I THINK MODERATES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE DON'T LIKE
00:57:45THIS.
00:57:47I THINK INDEPENDENCE -- INDEPENDENTS DON'T LIKE THIS.
00:57:52REPUBLICANS NEED THOSE PEOPLE CERTAINLY IF THEY HOPE TO HOLD THE SENATE. DASHA: THERE IS ALSO THIS PATTERN FROM REPUBLICANS
00:57:56PARTICULARLY FROM TRUMP TO RE- LITIGATE THE PAST.
00:57:58WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
00:58:01COVID OR THE 2020 ELECTION, DOES
00:58:02THAT RUN A POLITICAL RISK?
00:58:08JOHN: I DON'T THINK SO.
00:58:09I DON'T THINK THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH TALKING ABOUT THE 2020
00:58:15ELECTION AND OF THE WHITE HOUSE WAS PARTICULARLY HELPFUL.
00:58:18I THINK A LOT OF THE STAFF
00:58:20DIDN'T THINK IT WAS PARTICULARLY HELPFUL. DIDN'T MOVE THE NEEDLE.
00:58:24THAT BEING SAID, I MEAN, THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT
00:58:27THOSE YEARS THAT WE PROBABLY NEED SOME ACCOUNTABILITY FOR AND
00:58:31THERE ARE A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE DR. FAUCI DIARIES, HE LIED TO THE
00:58:34AMERICAN PEOPLE ON A CONSISTENT
00:58:37BASIS AND COVERED UP HIS OWN TRACKS. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE IS SOME POLITICAL USES OUT OF IT BUT IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT
00:58:41POLITICS. MOSTLY ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. DASHA: THAT IS ALL THE TIME WE
00:58:43HAVE.
00:58:50THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH. THAT'S IT FOR TODAY'S EPISODE OF
00:58:54CEASE-FIRE. THE SHOW IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS A PODCAST.
00:58:57FIND US IN ALL THE USUAL PLACES.
00:58:58I'M DASHA BURNS AND REMEMBER,
00:59:01WHETHER OR NOT YOU AGREE, KEEP TALKING AND KEEP LISTENING.
00:59:05♪
00:59:08>> IN A DIVIDED MEDIA WORLD, ONE
00:59:13PLACE BRINGS AMERICANS TOGETHER. ACCORDING TO A NEW RESEARCH
00:59:17REPORT NEARLY 90 MILLION
00:59:19AMERICANS TURNED TO C-SPAN AND ALMOST PERFECTLY BALANCED.
00:59:2328% CONSERVATIVE, 27 PERCENT
00:59:27LIBERAL/PROGRESSIVE, 41 PERCENT MODERATE. REPUBLICANS WATCHING DEMOCRATS,
00:59:31DEMOCRATS WATCHING REPUBLICANS, MODERATES WATCHING ALL SIDES
00:59:35BECAUSE C-SPAN VIEWERS WANT THE FACTS, STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE,
00:59:39NO COMMENTARY, NO AGENDA, JUST DEMOCRACY UNFILTERED EVERY DAY
00:59:43ON THE C-SPAN NETWORKS.
00:59:45>> C-SPAN'S WASHINGTON JOURNAL,
00:59:50OUR LIVE FORUM INVITING YOU TO DISCUSS THE LATEST ISSUES IN
00:59:54GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND PUBLIC POLICY FROM WASHINGTON TO ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
00:59:58COMING UP SUAY