Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:36HOST: GOOD MORNING, TUESDAY,
00:00:38AUGUST 25.
00:00:42YESTERDAY THE SUPREME COURT REMOVED A KEY HURDLE TO LIMIT
00:00:45MAIL-IN VOTING IN THE FALL ELECTION CREATING LISTS OF
00:00:48ELIGIBLE VOTERS TO GIVE THE U.S.
00:00:51POSTAL SERVICE A GUIDE TO WHETHER TO DELIVER MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
00:00:55THIS MORNING, SO ELECTION DAY
00:00:592026, WE ARE GETTING YOUR REACTION ON PHONE LINE SPLIT AS
00:01:02USUAL BY POLITICAL PARTY.
00:01:06REPUBLICANS, (202) 748-8001. THE DEMOCRATS, (202) 748-8000.
00:01:11INDEPENDENTS, (202) 748-8002.
00:01:15YOU CAN SEND US A TEXT, (202) 748-8003. IF YOU DO, INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND
00:01:19WHERE YOU ARE FROM. OTHERWISE CAP CATCH UP WITH US
00:01:23ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON X. FACEBOOK, FACEBOOK.COM/C-SPAN.
00:01:28A VERY GOOD TUESDAY MORNING TO YOU. YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND START
00:01:32CALLING IN NOW. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE LATEST
00:01:35CONCERNING MAIL IN BALLOTS AND ELECTION 2026.
00:01:41TELL BREAKDOWN WHAT HAPPENED
00:01:44YESTERDAY AT THE COURT WE ARE
00:01:46JOINED BY GREG STOHR, SUPREME
00:01:49COURT REPORTER.
00:01:55EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT COMES NEXT.
00:01:58GUEST: THE SUPREME COURT ACTED ON THE LAWSUIT THAT WAS FILED BY STATES ONLY A FEW DAYS AFTER THE
00:02:03PRESIDENT ISSUED HIS EXECUTIVE
00:02:07ORDER MARCH 31. WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE COURT SAID WAS THAT LAWSUIT WAS
00:02:10PREMATURE THAT STATES DIDN'T
00:02:14HAVE LEGAL STANDING TO SUE BECAUSE IT WAS JUST AN INTERNAL
00:02:18DIRECTIVE OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT AND IT
00:02:22HADN'T GONE INTO EFFECT AND CAUSE HARM TO THE STATES.
00:02:25SO ONE OF THE THINGS, AS YOU
00:02:28MENTIONED AT THE TOP, THE EXECUTIVE ORDER DOES IS REQUIRES THE POSTAL SERVICE TO ADOPT
00:02:32REGULATIONS THAT WOULD LIMIT THE DISSEMINATION OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
00:02:36THE POSTAL SERVICE HAS JUST FINALIZED THAT RULE. WHAT IT MEANS IS THE STATES WILL
00:02:40NOW BE ABLE TO ARGUE, NOW THAT THAT RULE IS OUT, WE HAVE BEEN
00:02:44HARMED. YOU CAN EXPECT A RENEWED
00:02:46CHALLENGE TO THIS WHOLE PLAN.
00:02:50HOST: PRESIDENT TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER WAS ANNOUNCED AT THE END OF MARCH.
00:02:53HERE WE ARE TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST.
00:02:55FOR 10 WEEKS TO ELECTION DAY.
00:02:58WHAT HAPPENS IN TERMS OF SEEING
00:03:02HARM? HOW DOES THAT PROCESS WORK AND IS THERE ENOUGH TIME FOR THE SUPREME COURT TO GET INVOLVED
00:03:06AGAIN IF THEY WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER BITE OF THIS AFTER THE
00:03:12STATES SAY THIS IS/ISN'T
00:03:15IMPACTING WHAT WE DO? GUEST: THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND I WON'T PRETEND I HAVE ALL
00:03:19THE ANSWERS. THERE IS A PROCEEDING STILL
00:03:22GOING ON A FEDERAL DISTRICT
00:03:24COURT IN BOSTON, A SEPARATE LAWSUIT FILED BY THE LEAGUE OF
00:03:28WOMEN VOTERS ALSO CHALLENGING THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
00:03:32THAT MAY VERY QUICKLY GIVE US A
00:03:32NEW ORDER THAT SAYS, NOW THAT
00:03:36WE'VE SEEN THE POSTAL SERVICE
00:03:38RULE, THAT GOES BEYOND THE
00:03:41EXECUTIVE BRANCH'S AUTHORITY, SO I WILL HOLD THAT RULE.
00:03:44IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE RULE AS A FORMAL MATTER IS STILL
00:03:47ON HOLD BECAUSE THERE IS ANOTHER
00:03:48ORDER FROM THAT SAME JUDGE.
00:03:52IT'S NOT IN EFFECT NOW BUT IT MAY QUICKLY GET TEED UP SO THE
00:03:56SUPREME COURT CAN DECIDE WHETHER
00:03:58THIS RULE, NOW THAT WE'VE SEEN IT FINALIZED, WHETHER THAT
00:04:01ACTUALLY DOES GO BEYOND THE
00:04:05POSTAL SERVICE'S AND PRESIDENT'S AUTHORITY.
00:04:09HOST: WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE STATES?
00:04:12WHAT ARE THE LISTS OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS? HOW WOULD THAT WORK?
00:04:16GUEST: AGAIN, IT HASN'T GONE
00:04:18INTO EFFECT SO WE AREN'T TOTALLY SURE HOW IT WILL WORK.
00:04:22THE BIGGEST THING THAT STATES
00:04:24WOULD HAVE TO DO, IF THEY WANT THEIR BALLOTS DELIVERED BY MAIL
00:04:28-- WHICH, OF COURSE, EVERY STATE
00:04:32THAT ENGAGES IN MAIL-IN VOTING
00:04:34DOES -- IS PUT TOGETHER A LIST
00:04:37OF MAIL IN VOTERS AND PUT BARCODES ON ENVELOPES FOR THE
00:04:41BALLOTS THAT ARE SENT OUT TO VOTERS. STATES HAVE BEEN PLANNING FOR
00:04:44THE ELECTION FOR MONTHS.
00:04:47THE STATES ARE SAYING NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO THIS.
00:04:52IT'S ENTIRELY UNCLEAR WHETHER,
00:04:57DEPENDING ON HOW QUICKLY THIS GETS RESOLVED, ULTIMATELY THEY
00:05:01WILL HAVE TO SCRAMBLE AND PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING OR WHETHER
00:05:04THE COURTS WILL KEEP IT ON HOLD
00:05:08SO THEY CAN HOLD OFF AND WE WILL
00:05:09HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AGAIN FOR
00:05:13THE 2028 ELECTION. HOST: CAN YOU WALK THROUGH THE REACTION?
00:05:16THIS WAS SPLIT ALONG IDEOLOGICAL LINES.
00:05:20THE REACTION FROM THE THREE LIBERAL JUSTICES YESTERDAY?
00:05:24GUEST: THE THREE DEMOCRATIC APPOINTED JUSTICES DISSENTED.
00:05:27THEY HAVE TWO DIFFERENT DISTANCE.
00:05:29JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR WAS TO SOME
00:05:32DEGREE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THE DECISION BY
00:05:36SAYING, HEY, THIS IS, I GUESS,
00:05:38WRONG, BUT THIS MERELY POSTPONES
00:05:41THE ADJUDICATION OF THESE CHALLENGES.
00:05:43JUSTICE JACKSON WROTE A SEPARATE
00:05:46DISSENT WHICH WAS MORE FULL THROATED.
00:05:48SHE SAID THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF
00:05:53THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO GAME
00:05:55THE SYSTEM AND THE SUPREME COURT IS GOING ALONG AND INJECTING
00:05:58CHAOS INTO THE ELECTION AND POTENTIALLY SELLING DOUBT IN THE
00:06:02RESULTS OF THE ELECTION BY
00:06:03FORCING -- SOWING DOUBT AND THE
00:06:07RESULTS OF THE ELECTION BY FORCING YOU, ME, AND EVERYONE
00:06:10ELSE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. HOST: HAS THE SUPREME COURT MADE
00:06:13ANY DECISIONS IN THE PAST ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS AND?
00:06:17HAVE THEY PUT THEIR STAMP ON HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THAT?
00:06:20GUEST: THEY HAVE, BUT NOT THIS ISSUE.
00:06:22THE CORE OF THE UNDERLYING ISSUE, PUTTING ASIDE IF THE
00:06:26LAWSUIT WAS PREMATURE, IS THE
00:06:28CONSTITUTION GIVES THE ROLE OF
00:06:31RUNNING ELECTIONS TO THE STATE AND CONGRESS CAN SET SOME GROUND
00:06:35RULES, BUT IT DOESN'T GIVE THE PRESIDENT A ROLE.
00:06:39WITH THE PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO DO IN THE NAME OF ELECTION
00:06:43INTEGRITY IS SOMETHING WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. A PRESIDENT TRYING TO USE THE
00:06:47POSTAL SERVICE AND OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES TO DICTATE HOW STATES
00:06:50WILL RUN THE ELECTIONS.
00:06:52SO OUR KIND OF IN UNCHARTED TERRITORY HERE.
00:06:57IT'S HARD TO PREDICT HOW THIS WILL ULTIMATELY COME OUT.
00:07:00HOST: GREG STOHR, WILL BE THERE
00:07:03WHEN IT DOES COME OUT, THOUGH.
00:07:06COVERS THE SUPREME COURT.
00:07:11THANK YOU FOR JUMPING ON AND SETTING UP THIS TOPIC AS WE SET
00:07:13IT UP WITH OUR VIEWERS. GUEST: MY PLEASURE, JOHN.
00:07:19HOST: REPUBLICANS
00:07:23(202) 748-8001." DEMOCRATS, (202) 748-8000. INDEPENDENTS, (202) 748-8002.
00:07:27WE WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO THE LATEST MOVE BY THE SUPREME
00:07:31COURT AND THIS ISSUE OF MAIL IN BALLOTING.
00:07:35THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT THE CASE STEMMED FROM WAS PRESENTED
00:07:38BY THE PRESIDENT ON MARCH 31 OF
00:07:41THIS YEAR IN AN OVAL OFFICE
00:07:46PRESS CONFERENCE. HERE'S ABOUT ONE MINUTE AND A HALF FROM THAT PRESS CONFERENCE. [VIDEO CLIP]
00:07:49>> SO THE FUNDAMENTALS OF OUR
00:07:53DEMOCRACY ARE BUILT ON VOTER INTEGRITY. WE ALL NEED IT.
00:07:57YOU'VE SAID IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
00:07:59IT IS A TOTAL AGREEMENT AMONGST EVERYBODY. HERE'S THE IDEA.
00:08:03THESE STATES RUN THESE ELECTIONS. IF YOU WANT TO USE THE U.S.
00:08:09MAIL, THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE,
00:08:11THEY ARE GOING TO GET A CODE, A BARCODE FROM THE U.S. POSTAL
00:08:14SERVICE, THEY ARE GOING TO PUT THAT ON THE ENVELOPE, WE WILL
00:08:17HAVE ONE ENVELOPE OR VOTE. NONE OF THIS TIME WHERE WE HAVE
00:08:22NO IDEA, THERE ARE NO OBSERVERS, NO ENVELOPES, NO CERTAINTY.
00:08:26THAT'S ALL GOING TO GO AWAY. WITH THE PRESIDENT IS DOING
00:08:30TODAY IS HE'S GOING TO MAKE SURE
00:08:31MAIL-IN BALLOTS ARE SAFE,
00:08:34SECURE, AND ACCURATE. WE WILL HAVE A CLEAR DISTINCTION
00:08:38IF YOU VOTED BY MAIL YOU WILL HAVE IT ON THE ENVELOPE.
00:08:42OBVIOUSLY NOT ON THE BALLOT BUT
00:08:43ON THE ENVELOPE SO WE WILL KNOW
00:08:47ONE MILLION MAIL-IN BALLOTS, ONE MILLION ENVELOPES, YOU WILL BE
00:08:50ABLE TO KNOW EXACTLY, CORRECTLY, THAT CITIZENS VOTED.
00:08:52>> AND THIS CAME UP WITH REGULAR
00:08:57LINES. WE LOOKED AT THE DOCUMENTS AND EVERYTHING GOING ON BECAUSE THE
00:09:01CHEATING ON MAIL-IN VOTING IS LEGENDARY. IT'S HORRIBLE WHAT'S GOING ON.
00:09:05IT'S VERY CLEARLY -- THIS WILL
00:09:12HELP A LOT WITH ELECTION.
00:09:13HOST: PRESIDENT TRUMP EN
00:09:17COMMERCE SECRETARY HOWARD LUTNICK ON MARCH 31.
00:09:20THIS ISSUE MADE ITS WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT.
00:09:22THE SUPREME COURT ISSUING THAT DECISION YESTERDAY, CLEARING THE
00:09:25WAY AT LEAST FOR NOW FOR CURBS
00:09:29ON MAIL-IN VOTING FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES STORY. REACTION FROM ONE OF THE STATE
00:09:33ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SOOTHE IN THE CASE, LETITIA JAMES OF NEW
00:09:36YORK, CALLED THE RULING YESTERDAY BY THE SUPREME COURT A
00:09:40PAINFUL SETBACK, BUT PREDICTED IT WOULD NOT BE THE FINAL WORD
00:09:42FROM THE COURT ON THIS TOPIC. "THE RIGHT TO VOTE IS SACRED IN
00:09:47NO ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PUT THAT RIGHT IN
00:09:50JEOPARDY BY MAKING IT HARDER FOR ELIGIBLE VOTERS TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS.
00:09:53"
00:09:54SHE SAID, "THE FIGHT IS FAR FROM
00:10:00OVER, WE ARE EXPLORING OUR OPTIONS." WE WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION ON
00:10:03PHONE LINE SPLIT BY POLITICAL PARTY.
00:10:07DEMOCRATS, (202) 748-8000. REPUBLICANS, (202) 748-8001.
00:10:11INDEPENDENTS, (202) 748-8002.
00:10:14WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR YOUR TEXT MESSAGES SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.
00:10:17HERE IS ONE OF THEM FROM FACEBOOK.
00:10:21EVERY OTHER COUNTRY HAS BANNED MAIL-IN VOTING DUE TO MASSIVE FRAUD.
00:10:24IT IS OBVIOUSLY USED FOR FRAUD. STATES THAT HAVE TURNED OVER
00:10:28THERE VOTER ROLLS HAVE SHOWN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LISTS
00:10:30THAT SHOULDN'T BE ON THERE -- NAMES THAT SHOULDN'T BE ON THERE.
00:10:35ELECTION INTEGRITY IS IMPORTANT,
00:10:38IS CARLY'S COMMENTS. EDWARD IN NEW JERSEY, INDEPENDENT, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
00:10:42CALLER: I SUPPORT THE SUPREME
00:10:46COURT DECISION WITH A LOT OF FRAUD GOING ON IN MEDICARE AND EVERYWHERE ELSE.
00:10:50I SUPPORT THIS DECISION BECAUSE
00:10:53IN CALIFORNIA THEY GIVE THEM A DRIVER'S LICENSE, ILLEGAL ALIENS.
00:10:57A LOT OF THEM ARE TRUCK DRIVERS.
00:10:59ALL THEY DO IS SHOW UP AT THE
00:11:02POLLING STATIONS, SHOW THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE, NO PROOF OF
00:11:06CITIZENSHIP, AND VOTE. THIS IS REALLY GOING TO MAKE A
00:11:09BIG CHANGE, A HUGE CHANGE.
00:11:15I KNOW THE GUEST WILL TALK ABOUT
00:11:19THE SUPREME COURT DECISION BUT I DISAGREE WITH HIM. I THINK IT WILL BRING ELECTION
00:11:23INTEGRITY. THE SAVE ACT NOW MAY EVEN PASS. YOU DON'T KNOW.
00:11:27HOST: DAY FROM FACEBOOK, KEEP
00:11:30THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OUT OF OUR ELECTIONS, WE ARE FREE COUNTRY AND THE PRESIDENT IS NOT
00:11:34ALLOWED TO DICTATE HOW WE RUN
00:11:38OUR ELECTIONS. MICHIGAN, DEMOCRAT, WHAT YOU THINK?
00:11:41CALLER: GOOD MORNING, JOHN. I WOULD LIKE TO START BY THINKING YOU AND ALL THE MEN AND
00:11:45WOMEN IT TAKES TO BRING US THIS GREAT PROGRAM. IF YOU ARE DOING A GREAT SERVICE
00:11:48TO THE NATION. I DON'T AGREE WITH THE FEDERAL
00:11:52GOVERNMENT. I UNDERSTAND YOU MAY HAVE BEEN
00:11:55TOO EARLY FOR THE STATES, BUT THIS IS AN ASSAULT ON OUR BASIC
00:11:59DEMOCRACY. COULD THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS
00:12:02DONE NOTHING BUT TRY TO DESTROY OUR VOTING RIGHTS.
00:12:07WE HAVE TO GET OUT AND VOTE TO STOP THIS.
00:12:10NONE OF US WITH THIS BIG NATION,
00:12:16WE ALL DISAGREE ON CERTAIN POLICIES, BUT THE VOTING HAS TO
00:12:20BE LEFT ALONE. WE TAKE ALL THESE --
00:12:23HOST: DO YOU USE MAIL-IN VOTING
00:12:25IN MICHIGAN, WHERE YOU ARE?
00:12:28CALLER: YES, THERE IS. HOST: HAVE YOU EVER HAD A
00:12:32CONCERN ABOUT IT? CALLER: NO.
00:12:35GOD NEVER MISSED A CHANCE TO
00:12:37VOTE EVER SINCE I TURNED 18, AND
00:12:41THIS IS JUST -- I'VE SEEN THE
00:12:43PEOPLE THAT WORK INTO IT.
00:12:45I DON'T KNOW THEM ALL PERSONALLY BUT I KNOW THERE INTEGRITY.
00:12:49THEY ARE DEDICATED TO MAKING SURE WE HAVE THAT RIGHT, TO VOTE
00:12:54SAFELY AND TO VOTE WHERE IT COUNTS.
00:12:57THEY TRIED TO ATTACK AND
00:13:01PROSECUTE ANY FRAUD THAT'S FOUND
00:13:05WHEN IF IT'S FOUND. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH OUR VOTING SYSTEM.
00:13:11IT CAN BE IMPROVED. MAIL-IN BALLOTS ARE PART OF IT. HOW CAN YOU TRUST ALL THESE
00:13:15BALLOTS THAT WE SUPPOSEDLY TAKE FROM OVERSEAS FROM PEOPLE
00:13:18OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY? THOSE MAIL-IN BALLOTS ARE SECURED?
00:13:22I'M NOT SO SURE ABOUT THAT.
00:13:26SO YOU CAN HAVE YOUR DOUBTS, BUT
00:13:29WHEN YOU REALLY GO TO YOUR LOCAL VOTING BOOTH AND LISTEN TO WHAT
00:13:33THEM PEOPLE DO, AND LEADING TOWN
00:13:38HALL MEETINGS WE HAVE, TOWNSHIP
00:13:40MEETINGS, HOW WELL THEY PREPARED TO PROTECT OUR VOTING RIGHTS
00:13:44SYSTEM IS AMAZING, AND THIS
00:13:48ADMINISTRATION HAS JUST BEEN ON
00:13:52THE FAST TRACK TO TRY TO DESTROY THAT TRUST. WE CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN.
00:13:55WE NEED TO GET OUT AND VOTE IN
00:13:58MASSES TO LET THEM KNOW THAT'S THE ONE THING YOU CAN'T MESS
00:14:02WITH. HOST: THAT IS RANDY IN MILLINGTON, MICHIGAN.
00:14:06HE SAYS HE USES MAIL AND BALLOTING. THERE ARE SEVERAL STATES IN
00:14:09WHICH VOTING IS CONDUCTED PRIMARILY BY MAIL.
00:14:13ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS RECEIVE A
00:14:16BALLOT BY DEFAULT.
00:14:18THOUGH STATES BEING CALIFORNIA,
00:14:21COLORADO, HAWAII, NEVADA, UTAH, VERMONT, WASHINGTON.
00:14:25IF YOU WANT TO SEE ON A MAP FOR OUR VISUAL LEARNERS, THAT IS
00:14:29WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE MAP.
00:14:32TO BE AUTOMATIC MAIL-IN VOTING STATES IN ORANGE.
00:14:36COULD THE AUTOMATIC MAIL-IN BALLOT TO STATES FOR GENERAL
00:14:39ELECTIONS ONLY IS VERMONT, THE BLUE ONE.
00:14:41WE ARE TAKING YOUR PHONE CALLS AFTER THIS DECISION BY THE
00:14:44SUPREME COURT YESTERDAY.
00:14:46TONY IN WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, INDEPENDENT.
00:14:49WHAT DO YOU THINK? CALLER: GOOD MORNING, JOHN.
00:14:53WHAT A DAY. A COUPLE OF ITEMS. I'M IN CONNECTICUT.
00:14:56WE HAD IN THE NEWS A WHILE BACK,
00:14:59MAYBE A MONTH AGO, HOW THIS
00:15:01ELDERLY WOMAN, HER BALLOTS, SHE HAD PEOPLE COME OVER AND TELL
00:15:05HER, WE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR BALLOTS. WE WILL HANDLE IT.
00:15:09CONNECTICUT HAS BEEN NOTED -- WE
00:15:12ARE A BLUE STATE SO IT HAS BEEN
00:15:16WHISPERED -- BUT BALLOT HARVESTING.
00:15:17THEY GO IN PLACES AND THEY TAKE
00:15:21THE BALLOTS AND THEY PUT THEM IN BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOUR BENEFITS.
00:15:25THAT'S ONE THING.
00:15:28SECOND, JOE CANNON IN
00:15:30BRIDGEPORT, IF YOU LOOK THAT UP SERVICE PROBLEMS WITH BALANCE,
00:15:34THEY HAD TO TURN THE ELECTION OVER.
00:15:37THIRD, THE BIGGEST THING IS, IT
00:15:42WAS NOT MENTIONED AT ALL, I COULDN'T FIND IT ON CNN OR
00:15:46WHATEVER, 500,000 MAIL-IN BALLOTS WERE SENT -- WERE MAILED
00:15:51OUT BY MARYLAND. THEY DISCOVERED THEIR MISTAKE.
00:15:55THEY SENT OUT ANOTHER 500,000 BALLOTS.
00:15:58CAN YOU LOOK THAT UP AND INFORM
00:15:59OUR VIEWERS BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T GET A LOCK.
00:16:04HOST: DO YOU TRUST YOUR WAY OF
00:16:08VOTING IN WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT?
00:16:12CALLER: I GO IN AND GOING IN IN
00:16:17PERSON. TO VOTE IN PERSON.
00:16:18I PULL THE LEVERS AND I FEEL
00:16:23CONFIDENT THEY ARE. I DO NOT FEEL CONFIDENT WITH MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
00:16:27WE USED TO DO SOME CHARITABLE WORK.
00:16:30CAN THEY USE TO ASK US, ARE YOU OUR COUNSELOR, THIS OR THAT?
00:16:35THESE PEOPLE GO TO THE PROJECTS AND THEY SAY, YOU WANT TO LOSE
00:16:38YOUR BENEFITS? DON'T YOU DARE VOTE FOR THIS GUY.
00:16:41I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR BALLOT FOR YOU. BALLOT HARVESTING.
00:16:45BALLOT HARVESTING.
00:16:46HOST: TONY IN WATER BERRY,
00:16:50CONNECTICUT. SUSAN IN FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA, REPUBLICAN.
00:16:55GO AHEAD. CALLER: GOOD MORNING. TWO DIFFERENT POINTS.
00:16:59ONE ABOUT MAIL-IN BALLOTS. MY BROTHER LIVES IN OMAHA,
00:17:03NEBRASKA. HE HAS -- HIS WIFE IS DISABLED.
00:17:07SO, WHAT THEY DO, IS THEY HAVE
00:17:09TO MAKE A COPY OF EACH OF
00:17:14THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSES TO SEND IN THEIR REQUESTS FOR A MAIL-IN BALLOT.
00:17:19THEY GET THAT, THEY DISCUSSED
00:17:21WHO IS RUNNING, ISSUES, INITIATIVES. FOR THEM, THEY FEEL VERY
00:17:26COMFORTABLE ABOUT THAT. THE OTHER POINT I WOULD LIKE TO
00:17:29MAKE IS, WE ARE CELEBRATING NOW THE ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN GETTING
00:17:33THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN AUGUST
00:17:381920, IT WAS RATIFIED, AND THAT WAS THE FIRST GENERAL ELECTION
00:17:41NATIONWIDE WHERE WOMEN WERE ABLE TO VOTE FOR THE PRESIDENT.
00:17:47IT WAS HARDING, OF COURSE.
00:17:50AS A MEMBER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, WE DO HAVE PLENTY
00:17:52OF TIME TO PUT THIS INTO EFFECT
00:17:56WHERE THE SUPREME COURT IS SAYING WE NEED TO LOOK AT BALLOTS PROCESS.
00:18:02WHERE DO THEY LIVE, YOUR
00:18:05IDENTIFICATION, AN ELECTION
00:18:10WORKER. I DO TRUST WHAT WE HAVE BECAUSE
00:18:12WE NEED TO VERIFY WHO IS THE
00:18:14PERSON, AND WE ASK HERE, ARE YOU
00:18:21A U.S. CITIZEN? SO WE HAVE -- WE DO HAVE TRUST.
00:18:28WE DO HAVE A CITY AUDITOR. WE ALSO DO MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
00:18:32WE HAVE A VERY GOOD SYSTEM.
00:18:34I'M SORRY THE GUY IN MICHIGAN THANKS PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
00:18:39ASSAULTING THE VOTING PROCESS. THAT'S NOT TRUE. HOST: CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WITH
00:18:43THE SUPREME COURT IS SAYING ON THIS. HERE IS A LITTLE FROM THE
00:18:47DISSENT YESTERDAY. THE ONE PUT OUT BY JUSTICE JACKSON.
00:18:51SHE SAID THIS RULING VIOLATES WELL-ESTABLISHED PRECEDENTS
00:18:55CONCERNING THIS COURT'S EQUITABLE DISCRETION AND
00:18:58NEEDLESSLY INJECTS CHAOS AND UNCERTAINTY INTO THE UPCOMING MIDTERM ELECTION.
00:19:02SHE SAYS, IT ALSO LETS ANOTHER
00:19:05SHOE DROP IN THE KAFKA-ESQUE
00:19:11NIGHTMARE THAT OUR PRESIDENT HAS BEEN CREATING.
00:19:14THE COURT HAS HELD FOR A WHILE THAT EVEN VALID ELECTION-RELATED
00:19:18LEGAL CLAIMS CAN COME TOO LATE. TODAY'S REVOLUTION IS SUCH
00:19:22CLAIMS CAN ALSO COME TOO EARLY. NEVER MIND THAT AN ELECTION IS
00:19:25LOOMING AND RELATED HARMS ARE PRESENTLY OCCURRING.
00:19:29NEVER MIND TOO THAT THE GOVERNMENT, WHICH CONTROLS THE
00:19:32TIMING OF PROPOSED AND FINAL RULES, CAN EASILY GAME THE SYSTEM.
00:19:36ONE OF THE DISSENTS BY ONE OF
00:19:39THE THREE JUSTICES APPOINTED BY DEMOCRATS SITTING ON THE CORD.
00:19:43IT WAS YESTERDAY THAT THE SUPREME COURT'S CONSERVATIVE
00:19:47MAJORITY CLEARED THE WAY, AT LEAST FOR NOW WHEN IT COMES TO
00:19:50THESE VOTING CHANGES. AGAIN, PRESIDENT TRUMP PROPOSED
00:19:54THESE CHANGES IN AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ON MARCH 31. LET ME SHOW YOU A LITTLE MORE OF
00:19:58PRESIDENT TRUMP FROM THE SIGNING CEREMONY FOR THAT EXECUTIVE ORDER. [VIDEO CLIP]
00:20:01>> IF YOU DON'T MIND I WILL TAKE
00:20:05SOME TIME AND I WILL MAKE THE SIGNATURE ABSOLUTELY PERFECT SO IT LOOKS VERY GOOD.
00:20:13SO FAR SO GOOD.
00:20:22OK, SO THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
00:20:27VERY PROUD OF YOU. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT CAN BE CHALLENGED.
00:20:33YOU WILL PROBABLY FIND A ROPE JUDGE, A LOT OF ROGUE JUDGES,
00:20:37VERY BAD PEOPLE, VERY BAD JUDGES, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY WAY
00:20:42THAT CAN BE CHANGED. WE WILL APPEAL IF IT IS, BUT I
00:20:45DON'T SEE HOW ANYONE CAN CHALLENGE IT. I DON'T SEE HOW THEY CAN
00:20:49CHALLENGE IT. REMEMBER, IT IS ABOUT VOTER INTEGRITY.
00:20:52WE WANT TO HAVE HONEST VOTING IN OUR COUNTRY, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE HONEST VOTING YOU
00:20:56CAN'T HAVE REALLY A NATION, IF
00:20:59YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH.
00:21:01HOST: IT WAS A CHALLENGE. THE COURT SAYING THOSE
00:21:05CHALLENGES CAME TOO EARLY. WE ARE SITTING HERE TODAY, 10
00:21:09WEEKS FROM ELECTION DAY 2020 SIX. TAKING YOUR PHONE CALLS, ROBIN
00:21:13IN CLEVELAND, TENNESSEE, DEMOCRAT.
00:21:14CALLER: HEY, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY
00:21:18MAGA IS TRULY THE WHITE
00:21:22IGNORANCE PARTY BECAUSE WE NEVER
00:21:23HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE VOTING UNTIL DONALD TRUMP BECAME
00:21:27PRESIDENT.
00:21:28HE ONLY HAS A POSITIVE RATING IN
00:21:31THREE STATES AND THE WHOLE NATION. SO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME -- HE
00:21:36KNOWS HE IS GOING TO LOSE THE ELECTION. IT'S GOING TO BE A CERTAIN GROUP
00:21:40OF REPUBLICANS THAT ARE GOING TO
00:21:42GO ALONG WITH HIM TRYING TO STEAL THE ELECTION.
00:21:45AND RIGHT AFTER I HANG UP IT
00:21:47WILL BE ANOTHER CONSERVATIVE
00:21:50EVANGELICAL LYING CHRISTIAN --
00:21:54HOST: THAT WAS ROBIN.
00:21:57THIS IS JOHN IN KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, INDEPENDENT.
00:21:59CALLER: A JUDEO-CHRISTIAN GUY
00:22:03FROM KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN,
00:22:07INDEPENDENT. ON ONE OF THE GUYS WHO WON'T BE ALLOWED TO VOTE, BASICALLY.
00:22:10I'M AN ORPHAN.
00:22:14HOST: HOLD OFF ON THE LANGUAGE.
00:22:21SAINT ALBANS, WEST VIRGINIA, GO AHEAD.
00:22:25CALLER: A COUPLE OF THINGS.
00:22:28WHEN THEY STARTED CHANGING THE
00:22:31ELECTIONS, MAKING MAIL IN VOTING
00:22:36IN MY OPINION -- [INDISCERNIBLE]
00:22:42HOST: IF YOU SPEAK MORE INTO YOUR PHONE IT WOULD BE EASIER TO
00:22:47HEAR YOU. WHEN THEY CHANGED THE VOTING RULES, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE CHANGES AROUND COVID?
00:22:51CALLER: YES.
00:22:52HOST: AND THAT IS WHEN YOU
00:22:55STARTED TO HAVE MORE CONCERN ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE ELECTIONS?
00:22:58CALLER: CAN YOU HEAR ME BETTER NOW? HOST: I CAN.
00:23:02CALLER: NO, MY CONCERN, I
00:23:06THOUGHT WHEN I HEARD IT, I SAID THE DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO TRY
00:23:09TO STEAL THE ELECTION.
00:23:11AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED I'M PROVEN RIGHT.
00:23:14I'M NOT SAYING IT'S ABSOLUTELY SO, I'M SAYING THAT THERE WERE
00:23:18LOADS OF VOTING IRREGULARITIES
00:23:21BEING ABLE TO BE REVIEWED BY THE COURTS.
00:23:24SINCE THEN THERE HAVE INTERVIEWS IN SEVERAL STATES THAT FOUND THE
00:23:28VOTING LAWS WERE BROKEN.
00:23:30I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IT HAPPENED.
00:23:33QUICKLY, ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRING EVENTS IN MY LIFETIME
00:23:36HAS BEEN WHEN THEY HAD THEIR FIRST VOTE IN IRAQ.
00:23:40COULD THESE PEOPLE RISK THEIR LIVES TO GO TO THE POLLS.
00:23:45IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
00:23:46HOST: A THUMB PRINT WAS PART OF
00:23:51THEIR SIGNATURE ON THE BALLOT -- AS I RECALL.
00:23:52CALLER: THERE WAS A LOT OF
00:23:56DANGER IN VOTING IN THAT ELECTION. PEOPLE WENT OUT AND DID IT VERY BRAVELY.
00:24:02HERE IN THE UNITED STATES ALL OF
00:24:05A SUDDEN WE HAVE TO CODDLE THE
00:24:09DEMOCRATIC PARTY, CODDLING PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO CODDLE VOTERS
00:24:12AND SAY YOU CAN VOTE ANYTIME FOR
00:24:1660 DAYS, 90 DAYS, FOR WHAT USED
00:24:19TO BE AN ELECTION AND WE WILL JUST SEND YOU A LETTER AND LET
00:24:23OTHER PEOPLE TAKE IT IN FOR YOU
00:24:27-- FOR CHEATING.
00:24:30I WANT TO GO ON TOO LONG, BUT
00:24:33FROM A FEDERALISM POINT OF VIEW
00:24:38ABOUT TRUMP, HOW ELECTIONS
00:24:39SHOULD BE, I THINK THERE ARE
00:24:44VALID CONCERNS AND NOW, OUR
00:24:48ELECTIONS ARE NOT IN MY OPINION, TRUSTWORTHY.
00:24:52HOST: YOU DON'T THINK WITH THE PRESIDENT'S DOING STEPS ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE THAT
00:24:56STATES RUN THEIR OWN ELECTIONS,?
00:24:58CALLER: I HAVE -- FRANKLY, I
00:25:04JUST HEARD ABOUT IT THIS MORNING. YOU HAVEN'T GIVEN IT ENOUGH THOUGHT.
00:25:10FEDERALISM -- I'M NOT SURE THE
00:25:12PRESIDENT SHOULD BE INTERFERING
00:25:16IN ELECTIONS, BUT -- ALL THIS
00:25:22CHANGE AND ALL THIS RAMPING UP OF MAIL-IN VOTING, YOU KNOW,
00:25:25THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
00:25:30THAT WAS A NATIONAL LOOP BY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY --
00:25:33HOST: GOT YOUR POINT.
00:25:38GRANT IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, DEMOCRAT.
00:25:41CALLER: YES, GOOD MORNING. PLEASE, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE
00:25:44RUDE OR ANYTHING, BUT HE KNOWS
00:25:49HE'S GOING TO LOSE THE ELECTION.
00:25:51IT'S JUST A BUNCH OF WHITE GUYS
00:25:55CALLING IN HERE AND THEY COMPLAINING. TO WHAT?
00:25:57HOST: I DON'T KNOW THE RACE OF
00:26:00THE CALLERS WHEN THEY CALL IN UNLESS THEY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES
00:26:04ON I'M NOT SURE EVERYONE HAS.
00:26:05WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON CHANGING ON
00:26:08THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER AND ALSO
00:26:12MAIL-IN BALLOTS? CALLER: LISTEN.
00:26:1496 WAS THE FIRST TIME I VOTED. I VOTED FOR CLINTON.
00:26:18I NEVER HEARD ANOTHER PRESIDENT TALKING ABOUT MAIL-IN VOTING.
00:26:22HE'S NERVOUS. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
00:26:25HE KNOW HE ABOUT TO GET
00:26:31INVESTIGATED. QB LOOSES THE HOUSE, THE SENATE, IT'S OVER FOR HIM. COME ON.
00:26:35IT IS JUST POLITICS HERE.
00:26:38ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S ABOUT MAIL-IN VOTING? I'VE NEVER HEARD THIS IN MY LIFE.
00:26:42AT 52 YEARS OLD. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD ABOUT SITUATIONS ABOUT
00:26:46MAIL-IN VOTING, WHEN HE BECAME PRESIDENT.
00:26:49I FEEL SAD FOR THIS COUNTRY. THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
00:26:53AND WE GOING THROUGH STUFF LIKE THIS. BUT THE UNITED STATES OF
00:26:57AMERICA, GO MAGA. PEACE.
00:27:00HOST: DUKE IN STONINGTON, MAINE,
00:27:06INDEPENDENT.
00:27:06CALLER: GOOD MORNING, C-SPAN.
00:27:10YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS MAIL-IN VOTING THING.
00:27:13THE STATE OF MAINE HAS GOT A LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE.
00:27:16WE ARE KNOWN FOR HAVING A LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE IN OUR STATE.
00:27:20THEY DEPEND ON THE MAIL-IN VOTING AND STUFF.
00:27:23NOTHING IS 100% SECURE, BUT I WILL TELL YOU ONE THING.
00:27:27I TRUST THE WAY THAT THINGS ARE DONE IN THIS STATE.
00:27:31I KNOW IN MY TOWN THEY ARE
00:27:35VERY, VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THE VOTING. Q VOTE, YOU DON'T DISCUSS
00:27:38NOTHING.
00:27:39YOU MIGHT SAY HI, HOW ARE YOU
00:27:43DOING, THAT KIND OF THING. BUT THAT'S IT. EVERYTHING IS ON THE UP AND UP.
00:27:47I SAY THINGS ARE PRETTY MUCH ON THE UP AND UP IN THE STATE OF
00:27:51MAINE ANYWAY. EVERYTHING. I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY'RE HAVING SUCH A TIME ABOUT THE MAIL-IN
00:27:55VOTING, BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED THAT AND STUFF.
00:27:58AND SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID, TRUMP KNOWS HE'S GOING TO LOSE.
00:28:02HE'S GOING TO LOSE. HE IS TRYING -- HE'S PULLING OUT
00:28:06ALL THE STOPS HE CAN PULL OUT TO
00:28:07TRY TO SECURE WHAT HE WANTS, AND
00:28:11IT'S ALWAYS WHAT HE WANTS. IT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT.
00:28:15LIKE WITH THIS CANADIAN THING IN THE STATE OF MAINE.
00:28:18US MAINERS DON'T WANT THIS, BUT
00:28:21HE DOES, AND HE'S MAKING IT LOOK BAD FOR ALL OF US, LIKE WE ARE
00:28:24GOING TO GO ALONG WITH HIM, AND WE DON'T.
00:28:27HOST: HOW DO YOU THINK THOSE NEW
00:28:30TARIFFS, 50% TARIFFS ON A LOT OF CANADIAN IMPORTS, HOW WAS THAT
00:28:34GOING TO IMPACT YOU PERSONALLY IN MAINE?
00:28:36CALLER: WELL, PROBABLY -- WELL,
00:28:42THEY SAID IF YOU BUY PRODUCE OR
00:28:45FUEL, POWER, THAT COMES IN FROM
00:28:48CANADA -- WE GET FUEL FROM CANADA.
00:28:51WE HAVE WINTER COMING ON. THE POWER BILLS ARE GOING TO BE
00:28:55HIGHER ANYHOW. FUEL BILLS ARE GOING TO BE ASTRONOMICALLY HIGHER.
00:28:59I DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PAY FOR IT AS IS.
00:29:02THESE TARIFFS ARE JUST GOING TO MAKE IT THAT MUCH ROUGHER FOR PEOPLE.
00:29:06IT'S JUST AWFUL. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.
00:29:10HE'S MAKING US LOOK SO BAD OVER HERE AND WE ARE JUST A LAUGHING
00:29:14STOCK IN THE WORLD AND STUFF, AND PEOPLE ARE MAD AT THOSE.
00:29:18AND WE LOST ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AND OUR ALLIES AND STUFF. I DON'T KNOW.
00:29:22WHOEVER GETS IN, THEY HAVE A JOB TO GET US BACK ON A LEVEL
00:29:25PLAYING GROUND, AND, YOU KNOW,
00:29:29GET OUR ALLIES AND FRIENDS BACK AGAIN. IT IS A SAD SITUATION AND I FEEL
00:29:33SO SAD FOR THIS COUNTRY. I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD LIVE TO SEE THIS.
00:29:36I'M ALMOST 75 AND HAVE IN MY LI. THANK YOU.
00:29:39HOST: DUKE BRINGING UP ONE OF
00:29:43THE OTHER BIG STORIES FROM
00:29:45YESTERDAY, 50% TARIFFS WITH
00:29:49CERTAIN PRODUCTS COMING FROM CANADA WITH THE LATEST TRADE WAR
00:29:53WITH OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE NORTH.
00:29:55THAT'S ONE OF THE TOPICS WE CAN
00:29:57TALK ABOUT AN OPEN FORUM.
00:30:03ANY TOPIC YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT
00:30:05, WE CAN TALK ABOUT MAIL-IN VOTING, TARIFFS.
00:30:09REPUBLICANS, 202-748-8001.
00:30:12DEMOCRATS 202-748-8000. INDEPENDENTS 202-748-8002.
00:30:18HERE IS ONE OTHER TOPIC FROM YESTERDAY TREASURY SECRETARY
00:30:22SCOTT BESSENT SAYING THE U.S.
00:30:24WOULD START A NEW CAMPAIGN OF
00:30:26ECONOMIC MEASURES AGAINST IRAN
00:30:29-- ANYONE DOING BUSINESS WITH THE IRANIAN REGIME.
00:30:32OFFICIAL SEND U.S. STRATEGY,
00:30:36THERE'S A PICTURE OF THE TREASURY SECRETARY MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY WITH
00:30:40REPORTERS AND HERE IS ABOUT A FEW MINUTES FROM THAT STATEMENT. [VIDEO CLIP]
00:30:43>> TODAY WE ARE LAUNCHING
00:30:48OPERATION ECONOMIC OUTCAST TO
00:30:51PRECLUDE EVERY OTHER OPTION AVAILABLE TO THE IRANIAN REGIME.
00:30:54TREASURY HAS MAPPED EVERY NODE,
00:30:59EVERY FACILITATOR AND EVERY
00:31:00NETWORK IRAN HAS USED TO SMUGGLE
00:31:04OIL AND EVADE SANCTIONS. BEGINNING TODAY THE ACTIONS OF
00:31:07TREASURY AND OTHER AGENCIES WILL
00:31:09TIGHTEN THE NOOSE AND BLOCK
00:31:12EVERY POTENTIAL SOURCE OF
00:31:15REVENUE THAT FUNDS THE IRGC AND THE PEOPLE OF IRANIAN REGIME.
00:31:19WE ARE FORCING A ZERO LEAKAGE APPROACH. THERE'LL WILL BE NO MINIMAL
00:31:24BRIEFING -- BREATHING SPACE TO REBUILD ITS CAPACITY AGAINST
00:31:28AMERICA AND THE WORLD.
00:31:31THE FINAL REFUGE OF THIS REGIME
00:31:34IS THE MISTAKEN CONCLUSION OF NATIONS THAT STILL FINANCE THE
00:31:37IRANIAN THREAT IN THE HOPES OF EVADING IT.
00:31:41IT IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE TO
00:31:44OPERATE IN THE GRAY SPACES OF THIS CONFLICT.
00:31:47COUNTRIES CANNOT CLAIM THEY ARE
00:31:50BLIND TO ENABLING THIS ACTIVITY.
00:31:53IRAN'S ENABLERS PURCHASED AND
00:31:57TRANSPORTED PETROLEUM AND FACILITATE THE FLOW OF ITS
00:31:58FINANCES THROUGH EXCHANGE HOUSES .
00:32:01THEY WELCOME IRAN'S AND MAINTAIN
00:32:05REGISTRIES ON ITS BEHALF. THEY TURN A BLIND EYE TO
00:32:09SUPPORTED FUEL TRANSFERS AND OVERLAND.
00:32:14THEY CONDONE ILLICIT USE OF THEIR BANKS ALL THE WHILE
00:32:17CONCEALING THE EXTENT OF THEIR COMPLICITY. THE PRESIDENT IS MAKING PHONE
00:32:21CALLS TO WORLD LEADERS WITH
00:32:22SPECIFIC REQUESTS TO CEASE THEIR
00:32:26INTERACTIONS WITH THE REGIME.
00:32:28YOU ARE ALREADY SEEING RESULTS. OVER THE WEEKEND COMMENTS FROM
00:32:31IRANIAN LEADERSHIP CLEARLY
00:32:35ACKNOWLEDGE THE EFFECT OF THIS CAMPAIGN.
00:32:37AND NATIONS THAT FACILITATE ANY
00:32:42INTERACTIONS WITH THE REGIME TOO QUICKLY -- SHOULD QUICKLY HEED OUR MESSAGE.
00:32:46THOSE WHO STAND WITH THE U.S. WILL REAP THE REWARDS OF OUR PARTNERSHIP.
00:32:51THOSE WHO TETHER THEMSELVES TO THE IRANIAN REGIME SHOULD EXPECT
00:32:54TO SHARE IN THE ISOLATION OF A WITHERING REGIME.
00:32:57>> THAT WAS THE TREASURY
00:33:01SECRETARY YESTERDAY WHEN HE SPOKE THIS MORNING ON THE
00:33:06WASHINGTON JOURNAL. THAT TOPIC OR ANY TOPIC ON PUBLIC POLICY ISSUE YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
00:33:10GO AHEAD AND CALL IN IN BALTIMORE.
00:33:13DEMOCRAT GO AHEAD. CALLER: GOOD MORNING.
00:33:16I'M 80 YEARS OLD AND I'VE BEEN
00:33:20VOTING ABSENTEE FOR ABOUT THE
00:33:21LAST 20 YEARS BECAUSE MY POLLING
00:33:25PLACE WAS NOT HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE.
00:33:27I DO NOT AGREE WITH WHAT THE
00:33:32PRESIDENT IS ATTEMPTING TO DO NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF MY
00:33:36DISABILITY, BUT BECAUSE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE
00:33:40MILITARY WHO VOTE BY ABSENTEE
00:33:43AND NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE DUAL
00:33:47CITIZENSHIP WHO VOTE ABSENTEE AND I'M LOOKING RIGHT NOW AT
00:33:50WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN NEVADA
00:33:52WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE SECOND PLACE WHERE THE DEMOCRATS ARE
00:33:56GOING TO HAVE THE PRIMARY.
00:33:59WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT.
00:34:03SO WE HAVE A LOT TO BE CONCERNED .
00:34:06WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STATISTICS,
00:34:09AND THERE ARE VERY FEW INCIDENTS OF PEOPLE VOTING ILLEGALLY.
00:34:15THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF EVEN VOTED
00:34:16BY MAIL SO REALLY WE OUGHT TO
00:34:20LOOK AT THIS AND ALLOW THE
00:34:23PEOPLE TO CARRY OUT THE RIGHTS THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE.
00:34:27HOST: HERE IS WHAT THE PRESIDENT
00:34:32WILL VOTE TO. HE MAKES THE ARGUMENT THAT
00:34:33MAIL-IN BALLOT AND IS AWAITED
00:34:37CLOSE LOOPHOLES TO PREVENT VOTER FRAUD POINTS TO A CENSUS BUREAU
00:34:40RELEASING A RECENT PRELIMINARY
00:34:42ANALYSIS CLAIMING TO IDENTIFY
00:34:4624,000 NONCITIZENS WHO CAST VOTES IN THE 2020 ELECTION,
00:34:50POINTING TO VARIOUS STATES AND
00:34:53TOTALS IN THOSE STATES. AND THEN MORE RECENTLY WOULD
00:34:55POINT TO THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
00:34:59WHO DISCLOSED THAT IT HAD INADVERTENTLY REGISTERED
00:35:03THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS BECAUSE OF A SOFTWARE ERROR IN ITS COMPUTER SYSTEM INCLUDING 340
00:35:07PEOPLE WHO WENT TO CAST BALLOTS
00:35:11IN RECENT YEARS. HE WILL SAY THOSE ARE EXAMPLES AND REASONS WHY WE NEED TO
00:35:15STRENGTHEN OUR VOTING SYSTEM AND MAKE SURE ONLY THOSE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE TO VOTE.
00:35:23CALLER: HELLO?
00:35:24HOST: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THAT ALICE.
00:35:28CALLER: I WOULD SAY WE DON'T
00:35:32NECESSARILY KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE.
00:35:35OFTENTIMES WE GET INFORMATION
00:35:37THAT IS DISINFORMATION SO HAS THAT ACTUALLY BEEN PROVEN.
00:35:39HOST: THAT'S ALICE IN BALTIMORE
00:35:43MARYLAND. THIS IS IN COLUMBIA, MISSOURI. REPUBLICAN GO AHEAD.
00:35:47CALLER: HI.
00:35:52THE MALE VOTES BREAK THE CHAIN
00:35:55OF CUSTODY.
00:35:58THE BALLOTS CAN BE TAMPERED WITH OR CHANGED IN THE MAIL.
00:36:05THEY DON'T PROVE IDENTIFICATION, THEY DON'T PROVE THAT THE VOTER
00:36:09IS ALIVE -- ANYBODY COULD FILL
00:36:13OUT THE BALLOT.
00:36:13HOST: SO ARE YOU AGAINST ALL
00:36:18MAIL-IN BALLOT IN? WHAT ABOUT FOLKS WHO SERVE
00:36:22OVERSEAS IN THE MILITARY WHO USE MAIL-IN BALLOTS?
00:36:25ARE YOU AGAINST ALL FORMS OF MAIL-IN BALLOT AND?
00:36:28CALLER: ALL THE MILITARY
00:36:33DEPLOYED AND ELDERLY CERTAIN
00:36:41HANDICAPS, MOST EVERY VOTING PLACE SHOULD BE HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE.
00:36:46WE NEED TO HAVE SMALL PRECINCTS
00:36:51WITH NO LINES AND NOT THE HUGE VOTING CENTERS.
00:36:54AND ANYBODY COULD BUY VOTES FROM
00:36:59MAIL-IN VOTING.
00:37:01IT DOESN'T SHOW IDEA OR PERSON
00:37:04-- PROOF OF LIFE.
00:37:09THEY CAN BE HARVESTED AND
00:37:12TAMPERED WITH AND IT IS JUST IT IS NOT A SECRET BALLOT.
00:37:15AND OUR BALLOT SHOULD PROVE THAT WE ARE THE ONES MAKING THE CHOICES.
00:37:20HOST: HAVE YOU OVER A BOAT -- VOTED BY MAIL?
00:37:23CALLER: NO.
00:37:26I VOTED ABSENTEE, BUT I WENT TO
00:37:31THE COURTHOUSE AND VOTED -- I
00:37:35SENT OFF TO THE SIDE AND VOTED.
00:37:39YES BECAUSE I WAS GOING ON VACATION.
00:37:40SO -- BUT YOU NEED -- THE
00:37:44BALLOTS NEED TO STAY IN A SECURE
00:37:45PLACE AT ALL TIMES SO THEY CAN BE TAMPERED WITH.
00:37:49HOST: THIS IS KAREN IN
00:37:53PENNSYLVANIA, A DEMOCRAT. CALLER: GOOD MORNING.
00:38:00BLESS C-SPAN AND GOD BLESS BRIAN LAMB.
00:38:02I'M A DISABLED PERSON AND THEY
00:38:05WANT TO TAKE WHEN MY RIGHT TO VOTE WHICH I DON'T AGREE WITH.
00:38:08THE OTHER THING IS POLITICIANS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE THE VOTERS.
00:38:12THE VOTERS ARE SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE THE POLITICIANS. AND THE THING I WANT TO ASK
00:38:16AMERICA IS WHY IN THE WORLD DO
00:38:21WE HAVE THE SO-CALLED BEST AND
00:38:25BRIGHTEST PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY AND THEY CAN AGREE ON IT. ON THE MEANING OF A WORD.
00:38:28HOST: WHY DO YOU THINK YOU'RE
00:38:31RIGHT TO VOTE IS BEING TAKEN AWAY?
00:38:35CALLER: I VOTE BY MAIL.
00:38:37I'VE BEEN DISABLED I WAS
00:38:40DISABLED IN 2020 AND AS OF 2024I WAS UNABLE TO TRAVEL.
00:38:43HOST: HAVE YOU EVER WORRIED
00:38:46ABOUT TEMP -- TAMPERING OR HARVESTING. ANYTHING THESE PREVIOUS CALLERS HAVE BROUGHT UP.
00:38:50>> OUR COUNTY TAKES CARE.
00:38:55EVERYTHING IS VERIFIED FIRST.
00:38:57THEY SEND YOU A MESSAGE SAYING
00:39:02IF YOU WANT A MAIL-IN BALLOT PLEASE FILL OUT THIS APPLICATION
00:39:06AND WE WILL SEND IT TO YOU. MY HUSBAND FILLED IT OUT THEY
00:39:10SENT US A BALLOT IN TWO WEEKS.
00:39:14BUT IT WAS THOROUGHLY DONE. THOROUGHLY CHECKED AND VETTED.
00:39:16AND I TRUST BASED ON EVERYTHING
00:39:20ELSE THEY DO IN THIS COUNTY I TRUST THAT THEY'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
00:39:23>> THIS IS LAVINA IN
00:39:28PENNSYLVANIA. INDEPENDENT GO AHEAD.
00:39:31>> I AM A POLL WORKER.
00:39:35I'M 73 YEARS OLD AND I'M NOW
00:39:39I'VE BEEN VOTING ALL MY LIFE.
00:39:40AND NOW YOU WANT TO SAY THAT
00:39:46MAIL-IN BALLOTS DON'T WORK.
00:39:47THEY WORK FOR ANYONE WHO ISN'T
00:39:50ABLE TO WALK, IS NOT ABLE TO BE
00:39:55PRESENT AND HE IS JUST DOING THIS BECAUSE HE FEELS THAT HE IS GOING TO LOSE.
00:40:00IT IS VERY FRIGHTENING TO SEE WHERE OUR COUNTRY IS RIGHT NOW.
00:40:0480'S FRIGHTENING.
00:40:06>> HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU
00:40:10WORKED AT POLLS AND WHY DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE FIRST PLACE
00:40:14AND WHAT'S -- HAVE YOUR VIEWS ON
00:40:18VOTING EVOLVED?
00:40:20CALLER: I STARTED DOING IT I GUESS THIS IS PROBABLY IN MY
00:40:24THIRD YEAR. MY THIRD TIME DOING IT.
00:40:28A NEIGHBOR JUST ASKED IF I WANTED TO WORK AT THE POLLS AND I SAID YES.
00:40:34HOST: WHAT'S YOUR USUAL JOB WHEN
00:40:37YOU GO AND WORK.
00:40:38CALLER: I AM A MINORITY PERSON.
00:40:42HOST: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
00:40:44CALLER: I VERIFY THE PEOPLE AS
00:40:48THEY CHECK IN. AND THEN I HOLD ONTO THAT
00:40:52PAPERWORK FOR FIVE YEARS.
00:40:54HOST: YOU HOLD ONTO IT OR I
00:40:58ASSUME THE COUNTY IN THE ELECTIONS OFFICE HOLD ONTO IT.
00:41:00CALLER: EVERYBODY HAS THEIR SEVERAL COPIES.
00:41:04. HOST: WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE KNOW
00:41:08ABOUT WORKING AT THE POLLS.
00:41:12EITHER YOU DON'T THINK THEY GENERALLY KNOW IN YOUR EXPERIENCE.
00:41:15CALLER: -- I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT
00:41:20THEY WOULD KNOW.
00:41:22YOU ARE THERE TO VERIFY THAT THE
00:41:25PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU HAS -- IS
00:41:30THE CORRECT PERSON WHO REGISTERED.
00:41:33AND AT THE END EVERYTHING IS
00:41:36CHECKED OFTEN VERIFIED AND EVERY
00:41:40DIFFERENT PACKAGE THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PACKAGES THAT VERIFY THE SAME THING.
00:41:45HOST: AND YOU ARE GOING TO WORK AGAIN THIS YEAR.
00:41:49CALLER: ABSOLUTELY.
00:41:51HOST: THIS IS NEW BEDFORD
00:41:56MASSACHUSETTS INDEPENDENT. MARK YOU ARE UP. CALLER: HOW ARE YOU.
00:42:03I WANT TO COMMENT ON THE MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
00:42:04I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ANY
00:42:08PROBLEM WITH IT AT ALL. THE PRESIDENT SEEMS TO HAVE NO
00:42:12ISSUE WITH HIS MAIL-IN BALLOT
00:42:15ORDER ANY RED STATES DON'T SEEM TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR
00:42:19MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
00:42:23IN AREAS THAT ARE PRIMARILY MINORITY. IN THE INCIDENT THAT ALSO
00:42:27HAPPENED IN NEW JERSEY ALSO HAPPENED IN TEXAS THIS YEAR.
00:42:31SO IT IS NOT TYPICALLY JUST BLUE
00:42:34STATES THAT ISSUE THAT.
00:42:36HOST: WITH THAT ISSUE DO YOU THINK THERE IS SOME REASON THERE
00:42:40TO TIGHTEN UP VOTER REGISTRATION
00:42:45ROLLS THE WAY THEY GIVE OUT
00:42:46MAIL-IN BALLOTS, IS THERE SOME INDICATION THAT THERE IS WORK
00:42:50THAT COULD BE DONE? REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT IS THIS
00:42:55DECISION, THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER OR SOMETHING ELSE OR IS ANYTHING
00:42:59THAT'S DONE MORE LIKELY TO DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
00:43:04CALLER: IT IS UP TO INDIVIDUAL
00:43:09STATES WHEN IDENTIFY VOTER FRAUD. THERE IS NO VOTER FRAUD ESSENTIALLY NEW JERSEY.
00:43:14I DON'T BELIEVE ANYBODY GOT TO VOTE. I THINK IT WAS 10 PEOPLE.
00:43:19BUT THAT WAS DONE THROUGH THE REGISTRY NOT THROUGH THE MOTOR
00:43:23VEHICLE THROUGH.
00:43:31HOST: SO THAT SYSTEM COULD HAVE SOME IMPROVEMENT.
00:43:35CALLER: YES ABSOLUTELY.
00:43:39>> THIS IS ED IN NORTH CAROLINA.
00:43:45ABOUT 10 MINUTES LEFT WE CAN TALK BALLOTS AND FOREIGN POLICY.
00:43:54CALLER: THE GUY BEFORE ME
00:43:56BROUGHT UP IN 2020, THE DMV LOST
00:44:0730,000 BALLOTS.
00:44:09THEY WENT -- TO GEORGIA AND ON
00:44:15THE NEWSCAST BACK THEN, THEY WAS
00:44:19ONE TIME TALKING ABOUT BUT I'VE
00:44:23GOT A FRIEND OF MINE THERE, HE
00:44:29-- WHENEVER HIS LICENSE CAME DUE
00:44:33IN 2023, HE IS -- HIS
00:44:37IDENTIFICATION WAS STOLEN AND HE
00:44:40HAD TO GO THROUGH ALL THE FACT
00:44:43AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT
00:44:45MAIL-IN BALLOTS -- MY DAD DIED
00:44:55IN 16 END IN 2020 GOT A BALLOT.
00:44:58A FRIEND OF MINE'S MOTHER HAD
00:45:00DIED IN 2018 AND SHE GOT A
00:45:05BALLOT AND SUPPOSEDLY IN NORTH
00:45:07CAROLINA YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO
00:45:10SEND IN TO GET A MAIL-IN BALLOT.
00:45:17BUT IN 2020, ME AND MY WIFE WE
00:45:21GOT BALLOTS TWO DIFFERENT TIMES.
00:45:26WE GOT FOR BALLOTS AND --
00:45:30HOST: THESE WERE ACTUAL BALLOTS
00:45:33YOU COULD FILL OUT AND DROP INTO THE VOTING BOOTH OR JUST
00:45:37REGISTRATION? CALLER: NO -- THEY WAS VOTING
00:45:41BALLOTS.
00:45:44AND -- AND THE LADY WAS TALKING
00:45:48A WHILE AGO ABOUT THESE POLL WORKERS.
00:45:52WELL I AM ALSO -- FOR PROBABLY
00:45:57THE PAST 14 YEARS.
00:45:59I TRUST THE PEOPLE OF THE POLLS
00:46:04BECAUSE MOST OF THEM IS HONEST
00:46:09AND WE GOING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN.
00:46:13BUT WHAT I DON'T TRUST IS THE
00:46:18ELECTION BOARDS BECAUSE IT'S
00:46:23JUST LIKE NORTH CAROLINA, WE
00:46:25HAVE JUST CHANGED THE PRIORITY
00:46:32OVER THE ELECTION BOARDS USED TO
00:46:35IF A DEMOCRAT WAS GOVERNOR -- A
00:46:42DEMOCRAT WAS AHEAD JUDGE AND
00:46:46OVER THE ELECTION BOARD.
00:46:50NOW, TWO YEARS AGO OR THREE
00:46:54YEARS AGO THEY CHANGED THAT.
00:46:56NOW TO WHERE ITS OPPOSITE.
00:47:00HOST: IF I HEAR YOU YOU TRUST
00:47:03LOCAL OFFICIALS MORE THAN STATE OFFICIALS.
00:47:07IS THAT AN ARGUMENT THEN TO KEEP
00:47:10ELECTIONS IN THE WAY WE CONDUCT
00:47:12ELECTIONS AS LOCAL AS POSSIBLE
00:47:16THE WAY THE SYSTEM SHOULD WORK AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, SHOULD
00:47:20THERE BE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE
00:47:23ORDERS ABOUT WHICH WAYS PEOPLE CAN AND CANNOT VOTE?
00:47:26YOU MAY AGREE WITH THE PARTY IN POWER RIGHT NOW BUT THAT COULD
00:47:30CHANGE DOWN THE ROAD WITH IT -- AND DIFFERENT EXECUTIVE ORDER, L.
00:47:38-- AND A DIFFERENT EXECUTIVE ORDER COULD COME OUT.
00:47:40CALLER: PEOPLE YOU KNOW THAT
00:47:45PEOPLE ARE GUNG HO ABOUT THEIR
00:47:50PARTY. MOST OF THE PEOPLE.
00:47:58AND JUST LIKE I'M A REPUBLICAN. , MAGA, NO.
00:48:02I COULD VOTE EITHER WAY.
00:48:06I VOTE ON MY -- UNDERSTANDING OF
00:48:15THE POLITICIAN. MOST PEOPLE DON'T.
00:48:19MOST PEOPLE -- JESUS CHRIST COULD RUN ON EITHER A DEMOCRAT
00:48:23OR REPUBLICAN TICKET AND A LOT
00:48:28OF THE OPPOSITE PARTY MEMBERS
00:48:32WOULD VOTE AGAINST JESUS CHRIST.
00:48:33HOST: GETTING INTO HOW PEOPLE
00:48:39VOTE AND NOT THE MECHANICS OF VOTING. THE MECHANICS ARE THE QUESTION.
00:48:42CALLER: THE MECHANICS ARE THE
00:48:45QUESTION AND -- AND THAT'S
00:48:49THAT'S JUST LIKE THE GUY FROM
00:48:53MASSACHUSETTS WAS TALKING ABOUT.
00:48:56THAT IS A PROBLEM WHEN PEOPLE GO
00:49:00AND GET IN LINE AT A DRIVER'S
00:49:04LICENSE PLACE BUT ARE NOT CITIZENS.
00:49:07HOW DID AN 80-YEAR-OLD MAN THAT
00:49:11I DROVE SINCE HE WAS 16 YEARS OLD.
00:49:16HOW DID HIS DRIVERS LICENSE, HIS
00:49:20IDENTITY, OUT THE DMV IN NORTH
00:49:23CAROLINA AND END UP IN GEORGIA.
00:49:26HOST: TIME FOR A COUPLE MORE
00:49:30CALLS. THIS IS BETTY IN MESQUITE, DEMOCRAT.
00:49:34CALLER: YES.
00:49:38I'M AN 87-YEAR-OLD POSTAL
00:49:42RETIREE.
00:49:46AND ANYBODY WHO THINKS THAT
00:49:47PEOPLE ARE CHANGING OR DOING
00:49:51THINGS WITH MAILING VOTES, MAIL-IN BALLOTS WHEN THEY COME
00:49:55INTO THE POST OFFICE THERE IS A -- WHAT DO THEY THINK, THE
00:49:59POSTMAN IS OUT THERE CHANGING BALLOTS BEFORE THEY GET TO THE POST OFFICE?
00:50:05I DON'T KNOW IF AMERICA HAS JUST GOTTEN STUPID OR WHAT.
00:50:12I HAVE ONLY ONE MORE COMMENT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE.
00:50:16I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THAT OUR
00:50:20PRESIDENT WATCHES C-SPAN SOMETIMES IN THE MORNING AND I
00:50:23PRAY THAT HE IS WATCHING THIS MORNING.
00:50:26I WANT HIM TO KNOW WHEN HE GETS
00:50:29TO THOSE PEARLY GATES, JD VANCE,
00:50:34KASH PATEL IS NOT TO BE STANDING BEHIND HIM.
00:50:38HOST: GOT YOUR POINT BETTY.
00:50:43BETTY IN TENNESSEE. THIS IS KELLY IN NORTH CAROLINA, REPUBLICAN GO AHEAD.
00:50:48CALLER: I JUST WANTED TO LET
00:50:52EVERYBODY KNOW THEY ARE
00:50:54PANICKING OVER NOTHING AS FAR AS
00:50:59BEING IN THE MILITARY OR BEING
00:51:03DISABLED, OR ELDERLY AND CANNOT
00:51:07WALK.
00:51:10OR IF YOU ARE SICK OR TRAVELING.
00:51:17OK. THIS IS THE WAY IT GOES.
00:51:20YOU WILL STILL RECEIVE YOUR MAIL
00:51:25IN BALLOT.
00:51:28THEY WILL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU. AND JOHN YOU SHOULD BE TELLING
00:51:32THEM THAT EVERY TIME THEY SAY
00:51:36THAT SO THEY DON'T PANIC. YOU STILL GET YOUR MAIL-IN BALLOTS FOR THAT.
00:51:42SO PLEASE DON'T BE UPSET BECAUSE
00:51:45IT'S NOT GOOD FOR YOU -- IT'S
00:51:48NOT GOOD FOR YOUR BODY OK?
00:51:50HOST: ARE YOU -- DO YOU HAVE
00:51:56ISSUES WITH STATES WHO VOTE PRIMARILY BY MAIL?
00:52:00THAT THAT IS THE MAIN WAY THEY VOTE AND SEND OUT MAIL-IN
00:52:04BALLOTS TO ALL OR MOST ALL
00:52:07ELIGIBLE VOTERS IN THE STATE, IS THAT SYSTEM NOT WORK FOR YOU?
00:52:11SHOULD THAT BE CHANGED? CALLER: THAT SHOULD BE CHANGED YES.
00:52:14HOST: IF SOME PEOPLE CAN VOTE BY
00:52:17MAIL AND IT WORKS, WHY NOT HAVE
00:52:21EVERYBODY VOTE BY MAIL AND HAVE IT WORK.
00:52:23CALLER: WELL -- BECAUSE THESE
00:52:31PEOPLE, THEY ASKED FOR MAIL-IN BALLOT. IT ISN'T AUTOMATICALLY SENT.
00:52:34TO EVERYBODY.
00:52:37IT IS SENT TO SPECIAL PEOPLE LIKE I JUST ELICITED.
00:52:40HOST: SO YOU HAVE NO PROBLEM FOR
00:52:44MAIL-IN BALLOTS AS LONG AS IT'S REQUESTED. CALLER: WELL NOT IN -- NOT THE
00:52:48WHOLE STATE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW
00:52:51IF YOU NOTICED THAT EVER SINCE
00:52:55THEY WENT TOTALLY MAILING, THEY
00:52:58WENT TOTALLY DEMOCRAT TWO. HOST: WHICH STATED THAT?
00:53:02CALLER: THAT WOULD BE
00:53:05WASHINGTON, OREGON -- PLACES
00:53:09LIKE THAT. HOST: SO YOU THINK MAIL-IN
00:53:14VOTING IS MORE LIKELY TO WIN
00:53:16SEATS FOR DEMOCRATS, THAN IT IS POLITICAL.
00:53:20CALLER: AND THEY ARE CHEATING
00:53:26AND IT'S BEEN SHOWN AND BEEN OUT THERE, BUT GUESS WHAT?
00:53:31THE NEWS ISN'T SHOWING WHAT
00:53:34COMES OUT, THE REGULAR NEWS I
00:53:38MEAN LIKE CNN AND MSNBC AND ABC,
00:53:42THEY DON'T PUT IT OUT THERE. THEY DON'T -- THEY JUST DON'T REPORT IT.
00:53:47IT'S LYING BY OMISSION. AND NOT TELLING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
00:53:52AND NOT TELLING THEM THAT THEY ARE STILL GETTING THE PEOPLE WHO
00:53:55DESPERATELY NEED IT ARE STILL
00:53:58GETTING THE MAIL-IN BALLOTS. BUT IT'S LIKE IT USED TO BE
00:54:02BEFORE COVID, EXCEPT FOR THOSE
00:54:05STATES THAT WENT COMPLETELY MALE IN A LONG TIME AGO.
00:54:08HOST: KELLY IN NORTH CAROLINA.
00:54:13THIS IS VINCENT IN TULSA. REPUBLICAN. GO AHEAD.
00:54:15CALLER: CAN YOU HEAR ME? HOST: I CAN SIR.
00:54:21CALLER: I'M VOTING SAFER
00:54:24GOVERNOR, CITY COUNCIL, SENATE,
00:54:27CONGRESS, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
00:54:29AND I'M GOING TO USE MY DRIVERS
00:54:35LICENSE WHERE I HAVE BEEN USING JUST A PIECE OF PAPER WITH MY NAME ON IT.
00:54:39>> YOU BEEN USING A PIECE OF
00:54:43PAPER WITH YOUR NAME ON IT. EXPLAIN.
00:54:44CALLER: THE ELECTION BOARD SENDS THEM IN THE MAIL.
00:54:49IT'S JUST A PIECE OF PAPER WITH MY SIGNATURE ON IT.
00:54:52BUT TRUMP IS GETTING RID OF THAT ISN'T HE?
00:54:54HOST: WHAT EXACTLY ARE TALKING
00:54:59ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU USE. ARE YOU SAYING YOU TRUST THE
00:55:02SYSTEM THAT'S IN PLACE IN OKLAHOMA?
00:55:03CALLER: WELL I'M GOING TO USE MY
00:55:08DRIVERS LICENSE TODAY.
00:55:09IN OREGON MY UNCLE -- HE WANTS
00:55:12TO DO ABSENTEE BALLOT, ABSENTEE
00:55:15BALLOT AND I THINK THEY'RE GETTING RID OF THAT AREN'T THEY?
00:55:18HOST: IN TERMS OF ALL MAILING
00:55:23BALLOTING THAT IS SOMETHING THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T THINK SHOULD
00:55:25HAPPEN AS FAR AS HIS EXECUTIVE ORDER.
00:55:28BUT ABSENTEE BALLOT IN TERMS OF SAYING I WILL BE OUT OF THE
00:55:32COUNTRY AND I'M TRAVELING, THAT SYSTEM IS NOT NECESSARILY THE
00:55:37TARGET OF THE ALL MAIL-IN VOTING
00:55:40THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO PUT RESTRICTIONS BACK ON TOO MUCH MAIL-IN VOTING.
00:55:43CALLER: OK, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
00:55:47HOST: VINCENT IN TULSA.
00:55:51THE PRIMARY PLACE IN OKLAHOMA.
00:55:57THERE WAS ALSO KEY ELECTION HAPPENING IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
00:56:01TO DETERMINE WHO WILL BE THE REPUBLICAN ON THE BALLOT IN
00:56:04NOVEMBER FOR THE SEAT. THAT WAS HELD BY LINDSEY GRAHAM
00:56:08BEFORE HIS DEATH.
00:56:11NOW BEING HELD BY DARLINE GRAHAM .
00:56:14DARLINE GRAHAM RUNNING IN THE PRIMARY TODAY TO TRY AND WIN
00:56:16ANOTHER TERM FOR THAT SEAT.
00:56:20BUT SHE FACES A CHALLENGE IN THE
00:56:23FORM OF RALPH NORMAN, THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN FROM
00:56:26NORTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE SPECIAL PRIMARY RUNOFF AS
00:56:32IT'S KNOWN IS TAKING PLACE TODAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
00:56:35WE WILL FIND OUT LATER TODAY DEPENDING ON HOW CLOSE IT IS
00:56:41WHEN -- WHO WILL BE THE REPUBLICAN ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.
00:56:44ONE OF THE KEY RACES BEING WATCHED TODAY.
00:56:47ONE OF THE LATER PRIMARIES IN THIS CAMPAIGN 2026.
00:56:50WILL BE WATCHING, A FEW MINUTES
00:56:54LEFT IN OPEN FORM TO HEAR FROM YOU ON THE TOPIC YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
00:56:58THIS IS WILLY IN NORTH CAROLINA. INDEPENDENT, GO AHEAD.
00:57:02CALLER: GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.
00:57:06FIRST TIME CALLER.
00:57:12WHEN IT COMES TO THE ELECTION.
00:57:15I THINK A LOT OF IT IS MOSTLY
00:57:16CENTERED AROUND BEING ABLE TO
00:57:20PURGE VOTERS. I SEE THEY'RE COMING FROM ALL
00:57:24DIFFERENT ANGLES.
00:57:25SO PURGING VOTERS USING DMV WITH
00:57:28THE ELECTION BOARD TO BE ABLE TO
00:57:32PURGE PEOPLE'S VOTES HAS BEEN
00:57:34GOING ON IN THE LAST THREE
00:57:39ELECTIONS. I HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN AND WHAT HE ABOUT IT.
00:57:40HOST: WHAT YOU MEAN BY PURGE PEOPLE'S VOTES.
00:57:45>> IT'S LIKE IN 1965.
00:57:51UNDER THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.
00:57:53NO PERSON SHALL BE PURGED NINE DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION.
00:57:57IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS. >> REMOVING PEOPLE FROM VOTER ROLLS.
00:58:01>> CORRECT.
00:58:04THERE WAS ALSO A DOCUMENTARY
00:58:07THAT CAME OUT CALLED VIGILANTE
00:58:11INC. DETAILING EXACTLY HOW THEY DO IT.
00:58:14BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING
00:58:16CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE'S VOTING
00:58:20AND THEY GET THEIR VOTING RIGHTS PURGED.
00:58:25>> THERE'S A LOT MORE CONCERN TO
00:58:29HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE NEWS OF VOTER ROLLS BEING WRONG AND
00:58:32PEOPLE BEING ON FOR TOO LONG AS
00:58:34OPPOSED TO THE OPPOSITE OF THAT
00:58:41WILLIE. DO YOU KNOW PEOPLE WITHOUT EXPERIENCE.
00:58:45CALLER: WELL NOT PERSONALLY.
00:58:48THE VISUALS AND THE
00:58:51DOCUMENTARIES AND DIFFERENT
00:58:53PODCASTS THERE HAVE BEEN OVER A
00:58:57COUPLE ONE MILLION PEOPLE JUST LIKE THE CASE IN VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA.
00:59:03THEY TRIED THAT SUPREME COURT REVERSED IT.
00:59:05IT IS FUNNY HOW SOME THINGS THEY
00:59:08CAN DO AND REPUBLICAN RAN
00:59:12ELECTIONS VERSUS IN DEMOCRATIC RAN ELECTIONS.
00:59:16IT'S OPPOSITE NOW.
00:59:18BUT I THOUGHT THE SUPREME COURT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BIASED BUT I
00:59:22THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR
00:59:26MAIN PROBLEM WHEN IT COMES TO THIS ELECTION IN 2024 AND 2026.
00:59:29HOST: IT IS THE 2026 ELECTION
00:59:33AND WE ARE --
00:59:3610 WEEKS FROM TODAY PEOPLE WILL
00:59:39BE FINDING OUT WHO IS GOING TO BE CONTROLLING THE HOUSE AND
00:59:43SENATE.
00:59:4480'S JUST ABOUT 8:00 ON THE EAST COAST THIS MORNING ON THE
00:59:48WASHINGTON JOURNAL. TIME FOR YOUR PHONE CALLS ON ANY TOPIC.
00:59:52202-748-8000 FOR DEMOCRATS.
00:59:55202-748-8001 FOR REPUBLICANS.
00:59:59INDEPENDENTS 202-748-8002. IT'S A BUSY NEWS DAY.
01:00:06SO HERE IS ANOTHER TOPIC THAT WE
01:00:09TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT IN THE
01:00:10LEAD UP TO YESTERDAY'S DECISION
01:00:15BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO
01:00:18APPLY 50% TARIFFS TO CERTAIN PRODUCTS OUT OF CANADA.
01:00:21THIS IS THE LEAD STORY OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL TODAY.
01:00:25FROM ESCALATING THREATS AGAINST CANADA.
01:00:27TARIFFS ON AUTO PARTS ARE THE LATEST ONGOING TRADE BATTLE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
01:00:33FROM MR. MARK CARNEY SPOKE ABOUT
01:00:36THE NEGOTIATIONS TRYING TO AVOID
01:00:40THIS TARIFF ESCALATION. WHY CANADA DECIDED NOT TO ACCEPT
01:00:43THE U.S. TERMS IN NEGOTIATIONS LAST WEEK. HERE'S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. [VIDEO CLIP]
01:00:48PM CARNEY: THE GOAL HAS ALWAYS
01:00:55BEEN TO GET THE BEST DEAL. FOR CANADIANS.
01:00:58NEVER A DEAL AT ANY PRICE OR AT ANY TYPE.
01:01:03THE BEST DEAL.
01:01:07[SPEAKING FRENCH]
01:01:12WE MADE PROGRESS IN RECENT WEEKS. IN THE END THAT MOMENTUM
01:01:16REVERSED. AND WE COULD NOT ACCEPT WHAT THE U.S. HAD OFFERED.
01:01:20NOR COULD WE GIVE AND BY
01:01:25STANDING UP FOR OUR VALUES AND FOCUSING ON WHAT WE CAN CONTROL,
01:01:27WE WILL BUILD [SPEAKING FRENCH]
01:01:34[APPLAUSE]
01:01:38PM CARNEY: THERE'S NOT TO SAY WE
01:01:43WON'T BE CHALLENGES AHEAD. WE HAVE ALL WE NEED RIGHT HERE.
01:01:49WORKERS, THE ENGINEERS, AND THE
01:01:52RIGHT PLAN. THE RIGHT PLAN FOR A STRONGER
01:01:57QUEBEC AND A STRONGER CANADA. BUILDING AT HOME AND
01:02:00DIVERSIFYING ABROAD THAT IS NOT
01:02:03PLAN B. IT'S BEEN OUR PLAN, FROM THE START.
01:02:06>> HOST: CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER MARK CARNEY YESTERDAY.
01:02:11THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ANSWERING THE QUESTION WHAT
01:02:14EXACTLY IS GETTING HIT WITH THESE NEW TARIFFS.
01:02:17THE TARIFFS ANNOUNCED IN LATE
01:02:20JULY IMPOSE A SURCHARGE OF 50% ON A LONG LIST OF CANADIAN GOODS.
01:02:24THE SUBJECT TO HOCKEY STICKS,
01:02:29WINE, A CENTRAL OIL AND CANDLES.
01:02:31THEY INCLUDE EXOTIC PRODUCTS.
01:02:35AT THE TIME SOME SECTORS INCLUDING ENERGY AND FISH WOULD BE EXEMPT.
01:02:40UNLIKE PREVIOUS TAXES A NEW ROUND TARIFFS DON'T EXEMPT THOSE
01:02:42THAT UP APPLY -- COMPLY WITH THE AGREEMENT.
01:02:49ON $20 BILLION OF IMPORTS ONLY A
01:02:52SMALL FRACTION OF WHAT THE U.S. PURCHASES FROM ITS NEIGHBOR TO
01:02:55THE NORTH. THE U.S. IMPORTED $383 BILLION
01:02:59OF GOODS FROM CANADA.
01:03:05THAT'S ONE OF THE TOPICS WE CAN TALK ABOUT.
01:03:07LET ME KNOW WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND BY CALLING IN ON PHONE LINES FOR
01:03:10REPUBLICANS.
01:03:14DEMOCRATS, 202 7488 THOUSAND.
01:03:18INDEPENDENCE, 202-748-8002. REPUBLICAN, GO AHEAD.
01:03:23>> CAN I MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT
01:03:27THE MAIL-IN VOTING. HOST: OPEN FOR THEM, WHATEVER IS ON YOUR MIND.
01:03:30CALLER: I THINK IT'S NOT A PROBLEM ON THE MAIL-IN VOTING.
01:03:35THE REPUBLICANS ARE BEGINNING TO
01:03:38START A HARVESTING VOTE BUSINESS AND DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO BE IN TROUBLE ONCE THEY GET THAT THING
01:03:42GOING.
01:03:44HOST: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?
01:03:48CALLING IN AS A REPUBLICAN. CALLER: THEY ARE TRAINING PEOPLE
01:03:50TO VOTE HARVEST, GOING TO
01:03:56HOMELESS. THAT'S A PROBLEM.
01:04:00IT'S NOT THE MAILING OF THE BALANCE IS PEOPLE GOING IN THERE AND PICKING UP BALLOTS FOR
01:04:04PEOPLE WHO DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THEY ARE OR CARE WHO THEY VOTE FOR.
01:04:06HOST: THAT IS BRENT IN LOUISIANA.
01:04:13ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. CAFFE, GO AHEAD.
01:04:17IF -- IT WORKS BETTER WHEN YOU TURN DOWN YOUR TELEVISION.
01:04:23GO AHEAD.
01:04:27UNTIL YOU TURN IT DOWN WE WILL
01:04:29GO TO RICKY IN MICHIGAN, A DEMOCRAT GO AHEAD.
01:04:32CALLER: I WAS CALLING IT ABOVE
01:04:35THE TARIFFS AND STUFF.
01:04:39DONALD TRUMP ACT LIKE THE BULLY OF THE WORLD SAYING IF YOU DON'T
01:04:43BRING YOUR LUNCH MONEY.
01:04:45AND HE'S GOING AROUND THE WHOLE WORLD SAYING THAT. YOU DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO DO
01:04:49THAT. HE IS REALLY A BULLY.
01:04:53SAYING YOU DON'T BRING YOUR LUNCH MONEY TO SCHOOL.
01:04:56SO I THINK THE CANADIANS ARE IF
01:05:02YOU ARE GOING TO BULLY EVERYBODY
01:05:05IF YOU DON'T BRING ME YOUR MONEY I WILL PUT A TARIFF ON YOU.
01:05:11THEY WERE -- THEY DON'T HAVE A RIGHT TO DO THAT. THAT'S MY COMMENT.
01:05:15HOST: MORE FROM CANADIAN
01:05:19OFFICIALS ON THE TARIFFS IN THE BREAKDOWN OF TRADE TALKS WITH THE U.S. AND CANADA.
01:05:24CANADIAN PREMIER DOUG FORD
01:05:29RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS ABOUT TRADE TENSIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. [VIDEO CLIP]
01:05:32>> YOU SOUND A LITTLE MORE
01:05:35SUBDUED THAN YOU DO THIS MORNING
01:05:36ON THE RADIO DONALD TRUMP --
01:05:40DOES THE PROMISE OR TELL YOU AND ASK YOU TO TONE IT DOWN.
01:05:43>> HE WASN'T AGAINST THAT.
01:05:48I HAVE A LOT OF REAL ESTATE SO HE HAS A LOT OF ROOM.
01:05:55I JUST DO. I'M A BIG DUDE WHAT CAN I SAY.
01:06:01>> WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT A
01:06:05VERY FRESH POST FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP ON TRUTH SOCIAL TAKING AIM
01:06:09AT YOU PERSONALLY TAKING SHOTS
01:06:11OF YOU SUGGESTING YOU FALL IN
01:06:15LINE. DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THESE
01:06:19SHOTS, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE PRESIDENT?
01:06:22>> I DON'T RESPOND TO A DICTATOR
01:06:26LIKE PRESIDENT TRUMP. HE IS THE TYPE OF GUY IN SCHOOL
01:06:29IT WOULD TAKE YOUR LUNCH MONEY
01:06:30ONE DAY, AND THEN STEAL YOUR
01:06:34RUNNING SHOES. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY ADVICE OFF A GUY THAT'S THE KING
01:06:38OF BANKRUPTCY.
01:06:40HE IS ACTUALLY TARIFF IN HIS OWN PEOPLE, TAXING HIS OWN PEOPLE.
01:06:44I WILL MAKE SURE I COMMUNICATE
01:06:47TO THE U.S. MEDIA I WILL BE REACHING OUT TO EVERY SINGLE
01:06:49GOVERNOR AND SENATOR, EVERY SINGLE CONGRESSPERSON AND WHEN
01:06:53IT COMES TO THE MIDTERMS TO THE
01:06:57AMERICANS DON'T VOTE FOR THE PERSON THAT'S GOING TO KILL YOUR JOBS.
01:07:00HE RAN ON CREATING MORE JOBS LAST TIME I CHECKED JOBS WENT
01:07:04DOWN IN THE U.S. AND ONTARIO GREETED MORE JOBS.
01:07:08HE RAN ON REDUCING THE COST OF LIVING.
01:07:10LAST TIME I CHECKED, FOOD IS MORE EXPENSIVE DOWN THERE.
01:07:14HOMES ARE MORE EXPENSIVE AND THE REASON HOMES ARE MORE EXPENSIVE
01:07:17IS HE HAS A TARIFF ON OUR LUMBAR
01:07:19WHICH IS 33% OF ALL HOMES BUILT
01:07:22IN THE U.S. USE CANADIAN LUMBER. SO I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE LESSONS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP.
01:07:28HE'S THE LAST GUY I WOULD TAKE ANY LESSONS OFF.
01:07:33WE WILL SEE HOW THIS GOES.
01:07:36HE WANTS TO PUT PAIN ON CANADIANS WE WILL LEVERAGE EVERY
01:07:38BIT OF PAIN WE POSSIBLY CAN ON AMERICANS.
01:07:42YOU KNOW WHO I FEEL BAD FOR.
01:07:44I LOVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND I STAND BY THAT STATEMENT BECAUSE
01:07:48THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE CALLING ME SAYING WAY TO GO KEEP GOING.
01:07:52YOUR OWN PEOPLE PRESIDENT TRUMP
01:07:55DON'T EVEN LIKE YOU AND THEY WILL SPEAK LOUD AND CLEAR WHEN
01:07:58IT COMES TO THE MIDTERMS AND IF I WAS ALLOWED TO I WOULD BE OUT THERE DOORKNOCKING.
01:08:02HOST: ONTARIO CANADIAN PREMIER
01:08:07DOUG FORD TAKING A FEW CALLS THIS MORNING, OPEN FOR MANY
01:08:11PUBLIC POLICY OR POLITICAL ISSUE YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ABOUT 20 MINUTES LEFT TO DO SO.
01:08:18DAVENPORT, FLORIDA REPUBLICAN, RON GO AHEAD.
01:08:21>> GOOD MORNING.
01:08:23I'M 63 YEARS OLD.
01:08:26AND IN MY LIFETIME, THE BEST
01:08:29PRESIDENT WAS RONALD REAGAN.
01:08:31THIS PRESIDENT UNFORTUNATELY I
01:08:35VOTED FOR HIM.
01:08:36BUT HE HAS TURNED IN TO BE THE
01:08:41WORST PRESIDENT IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
01:08:43HE IS TAXING OTHER COUNTRIES
01:08:49THAT WE BUY SUPPLIES FROM AND
01:08:51WHEN WE GET THE SUPPLIES, WHAT
01:08:56HAPPENS? OUR GROCERIES GO UP OUR LUMBAR
01:08:57GOES UP EVERYTHING GOES UP.
01:09:01HE IS PUTTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SECURITY THE AMERICAN
01:09:06PEOPLE AND HE SAYS HE LOVES THE UNITED STATES.
01:09:10THAT IS WRONG. HE DOESN'T LOVE THE UNITED
01:09:14STATES. HE HATES THE UNITED STATES.
01:09:15LOOK AT WHAT HE'S DONE AT HIS --
01:09:19AT THE WHITE HOUSE. THAT IS UNCALLED FOR.
01:09:23HE DOES NOT NEED TO DO THAT.
01:09:24HOST: HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP.
01:09:29DID YOU VOTE FROM ALL THREE TIMES HE WAS ON THE BALLOT. CALLER: I DID NOT.
01:09:34HOST: I ONLY -- I ONLY VOTED
01:09:39ONCE AND IT'S TURNED OUT TO BE A HORRIBLE THING.
01:09:41HOST: WAS THAT IN 2016, 2020 OR
01:09:462024. CALLER: 2024.
01:09:48HOST: AFTER NOT VOTING FOR THEM
01:09:52TWICE WHAT MADE YOU WANT THEM -- WANT TO VOTE FOR THEM.
01:09:54CALLER: I THOUGHT AND I
01:09:58RESEARCHED IT ON MY COMPUTER AND
01:10:02HE TURNED OUT TO BE A GOOD CANDIDATE. HOST: WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT HIM?
01:10:06CALLER: I JUST LIKE HIS POLICIES.
01:10:10HOST: WHICH ONES IN PARTICULAR?
01:10:13CALLER: I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING
01:10:16TO DO GOOD FOR US WITH JOBS.
01:10:21I HAVE BEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR TWO AND HALF YEARS TRYING
01:10:24DESPERATELY TO GET BACK TO WORK.
01:10:26HOST: WHAT LINE OF WORK ARE YOU IN?
01:10:30CALLER: HUH?
01:10:33HOST: WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO GET BACK IN, WHAT DID YOU DO.
01:10:37CALLER: I USED TO BE IN HOSPITALITY.
01:10:42RESTAURANTS, THEME PARKS. AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
01:10:47AND IT JUST -- IT BOTHERS ME
01:10:51WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS COMING TO. YOU KNOW I'M 63.
01:10:57I WOULD BE A LOT OLDER THAN I AM. I FEEL SORRY FOR THE YOUNG
01:11:01PEOPLE, THE YOUNGER GENERATION COMING UP IN THIS WORLD.
01:11:04HOST: THIS IS TREY IN THE YELLOW
01:11:09HAMMER STATE, INDEPENDENT, GO AHEAD.
01:11:11CALLER: GLAD TO BE ON THE SHOW.
01:11:16I HAVE TO SAY WITH THESE REPUBLICANS THINKING THE
01:11:19ELECTION WAS STOLEN, ARE THEY STEALING ELECTIONS IN RED STATE
01:11:23DISTRICT? IF THEY ARE SO HARD-NOSED THAT
01:11:26THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING, HOW WAS IT SO BELIEVABLE THAT THEY ARE NOT DOING IT THEMSELVES?
01:11:31WHEN IT COMES TO MAIL-IN BALLOTS
01:11:35I'M A LEGAL VOTER SO IF I WANT
01:11:38TO VOTE MAIL-IN BALLOT AND, IF I
01:11:39WANT TO VOTE IN BY MAIL I THINK I SHOULD BE ABLE TO.
01:11:44NUMBER THREE, IN ALABAMA YOU CAN
01:11:49SEE IF YOUR VOTE WAS COUNTED WHEN YOU MAILING YOUR VOTE.
01:11:53WHEN YOU VOTE IN PERSON, THERE IS NO APPARATUS, THERE IS NO
01:11:57INTERNET WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN GO
01:12:00TO TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR VOTE WAS ACTUALLY COUNTED.
01:12:03IT SHOWS YOU ARE REGISTERED BUT IT DOES NOT TELL YOU THAT YOUR
01:12:07VOTE WAS COUNTED WHEN YOU VOTE IN PERSON. IT ONLY TELLS YOU WHEN YOU VOTE
01:12:13ABSENTEE AND FAMILY AND. BUT OTHER THAN THAT THEY DON'T
01:12:17TELL YOU IN PERSON.
01:12:17SO MY QUESTION TO REPUBLICANS IS
01:12:22ARE YOU GUYS CHEATING IN YOUR
01:12:24ELECTIONS TO BUY THIS ELECTION
01:12:26FRAUD NONSENSE?
01:12:29WHEN WE ALL KNOW THERE HASN'T
01:12:32BEEN ENOUGH FRAUD IN ELECTIONS FOR IT TO BE CHANGING THE
01:12:37OUTCOME OF THE ELECTIONS. THIS IS SABOTAGE.
01:12:41HOST: THAT IS TREY IN ALABAMA.
01:12:47SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, REPUBLICAN, GO AHEAD. OPEN FORUM.
01:12:51CALLER: I AM NOT A REPUBLICAN I
01:12:54CALLED IN ON THE DEMOCRATIC LINE SORRY.
01:12:57LET ME BE BIPARTISAN.
01:13:01I THINK DONALD TRUMP'S MAIN POLICY IS MIGHT MAKES RIGHT. IF YOU CAN DO IT AND GET AWAY
01:13:05WITH IT YOU DO IT.
01:13:09CHALLENGE, START CUBANS. DO WHATEVER YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH.
01:13:17WHEN I RETIRED FROM THE MILITARY IN 2020 AND BECAME AN ELECTION
01:13:21CLERK THEN AN ELECTION JUDGE. I TRIED TO GET ON THE C-SPAN BUS
01:13:25TO COME ON DOWN TO MY COUNTY AND
01:13:28SEE IF WE HAVE A TRUSTWORTHY SYSTEM AND PEOPLE RUNNING THE
01:13:31SYSTEM.
01:13:32HOST: WHAT DOES AN ELECTION
01:13:37CLERK DO VERSUS AN ELECTION JUDGE?
01:13:38CALLER: A CLERK CHECKS IDS AND
01:13:42MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE IN THE SYSTEM AND ARE READY TO VOTE AND
01:13:45THEN IF THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS IF SOMEONE HAS A CHANGE OF
01:13:49ADDRESS HAVING PROBLEMS FINDING
01:13:50SOMEONE'S NAME IN THE SYSTEM,
01:13:54THEN THAT'S WHEN THE ELECTION
01:13:56JUDGE OR JUDGES GET INVOLVED.
01:13:58WE HAVE CO-ELECTION JUDGES, ONE FOR EACH PARTY.
01:14:02HOST: SO ARE YOU -- YOU ARE SENT
01:14:07AS A DEMOCRATIC ELECTION JUDGE -- A DEMOCRAT TO BE AN ELECTION JUDGE?
01:14:11CALLER: THAT IS CORRECT.
01:14:14MY CODE JUDGE IS A REPUBLICAN.
01:14:16HE IS 84 YEARS OLD, HE'S OWNED A
01:14:20BUSINESS AND DONE A LOT OF ACCOUNTING.
01:14:22SO I TRUST HIM TO DO THE RIGHT
01:14:26THINGS AND TO SEE AN OPPORTUNITY
01:14:30FOR POLL WATCHERS TO WATCH THE
01:14:32POLL WORKERS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE ARE DOING OUR JOBS RIGHT.
01:14:36OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
01:14:38TO TAKE A DAY OFF OF SCHOOL WITH
01:14:42THEIR PARENTS AND TEACHERS CONSENT AND SEE WHAT ELECTIONEERING IS LIKE AND SO.
01:14:46HOST: HOW DOES ONE GET THE JOB OF ELECTION JUDGE?
01:14:50IS THAT SOMETHING THE LOCAL PARTY SENT A LIST OF HEROES ARE
01:14:55JUDGES, IT IS SOMETHING YOU RUN FOR? HOW DO YOU GET THAT JOB?
01:14:59CALLER: SOMEONE IN THE COUNTY'S
01:15:03CHARGE OF ELECTIONS AND FOR US
01:15:04IN MY COUNTY, SHE IS ELECTED NOT
01:15:08APPOINTED I BELIEVE.
01:15:10SHE RUNS THE ELECTIONS PROCESS. SHE MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS FAIR
01:15:14AND THAT THE POLLING PLACES ARE
01:15:18BALANCED.
01:15:20WHEN SHE VOLUNTEERED YOU GET
01:15:24MATCHED AND VOLUNTEERED TO BE A
01:15:24JUDGE OR A CLERK, YOU SAY POLL
01:15:30YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK OUT, SOMEWHERE NEAR YOUR HOME.
01:15:33AND THEN FROM THERE YOU GO THROUGH THE TRAINING AND
01:15:36CERTIFICATION AND THEN THERE IS A QUESTION ON ELECTION DAY THAN
01:15:40YOU ARE -- YOU CALL THE HOTLINE AND TALK TO THE PEOPLE OF THE
01:15:44COUNTY HEADQUARTERS IN MAKING THE JUDGMENT CALLS.
01:15:47YOU HAVE OVERSIGHT. IT'S A VERY TRUSTWORTHY SYSTEM.
01:15:53AND GETS OUT AND SEE HOW THIS IS OPERATING.
01:15:58THERE'S A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS FAIR AND NOT FAIR.
01:16:03MAY C-SPAN CAN HELP BY SHOWING
01:16:06PEOPLE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS AND TRANSPIRES.
01:16:09HOST: WHAT YOU GET OUT OF IT,
01:16:13AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IT?
01:16:15CALLER: I'VE BEEN DOING IT SINCE 2020.
01:16:19I'M A FULL-TIME VOLUNTEER NOW.
01:16:21SO I GET SOME CIVIC PRIDE, I GET
01:16:25THE SATISFACTION OF KNOWING IT'S
01:16:25DONE RIGHT AND THAT I'M DOING MY COMMUNITY A GOOD SERVICE.
01:16:32HOST: THIS IS MATT, FALLS CHURCH
01:16:37VIRGINIA, GOOD MORNING GO AHEAD. >> GOOD MORNING.
01:16:42I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT RISE OF SOCIALISM IN AMERICA.
01:16:48I AM REALLY SURPRISED AND
01:16:50SHOCKED BY HOW REPUBLICANS AND
01:16:53MANY DEMOCRATS ARE BY SOCIALIST
01:16:57BACKED CANDIDATES WINNING ACROSS THE BOARD.
01:17:00CAPITALISM WORKS IN OUR COUNTRY WHEN CAPITAL CARES ABOUT WORKERS.
01:17:04RIGHT NOW I THINK MOST CAPITAL
01:17:06IN OUR COUNTRY IS GOING TOWARDS CRYPTOCURRENCY AND AI.
01:17:11THOSE ARE THINGS THAT DON'T
01:17:12REALLY BUILD JOBS OR BUILD
01:17:16PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO WORK.
01:17:19SO IT IS NO SURPRISE PEOPLE AREN'T HAPPY WITH CAPITAL RIGHT NOW AND ARE LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS.
01:17:23HOST: HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR POLITICS?
01:17:28CALLER: I WOULD SAY AS TIME HAS
01:17:31GONE ON I HAVE MOVED MORE INTO A
01:17:35DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST VIEW OF THE WORLD. HOST: WHERE WERE YOU BEFORE THAT?
01:17:38CALLER: IT'S BEEN A LONG
01:17:42JOURNEY. I WOULD SAY IN THE 2000'S MODERATE REPUBLICAN AND THEN
01:17:47WITH OBAMA'S ELECTION PROBABLY
01:17:50BEING A TIME THAT I TURNED MORE
01:17:54LIBERAL DEMOCRAT. THE FAILURES OF OBAMA HAVE
01:17:56PUSHED ME WITH TRUMP SELECTION
01:18:00DEFINITELY TOWARDS A MORE,
01:18:03TOWARDS A VIEW THAT WE NEED
01:18:06CAPITALISM IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT
01:18:10STATE REGULATED CAPITALISM MORE AND MORE AND CAPITALISM THAT
01:18:14ACTUALLY BUILDS COMPETITION AND SUPPORTS WORKERS.
01:18:16AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT, THEN
01:18:19I AM NOT SURE WHAT IS THE VIEW
01:18:21OF AN AMERICAN TO SUPPORT ALL
01:18:24THESE BENEFITS FOR CAPITALISTS WHO ARE NOT SUPPORTING US.
01:18:26HOST: WHAT'S THE MAIN THING,
01:18:30WHAT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE THAT COULD BE MADE TO MAKE THAT
01:18:34SYSTEM A REALITY THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
01:18:37CALLER: I DON'T THINK THERE'S
01:18:40ONE BIG THING I THINK IT'S SMALL CHANGES ACROSS THE BOARD.
01:18:43AND WELL -- I THINK ONE BIG
01:18:46THING RIGHT NOW IS GET RID OF
01:18:51TAX BREAKS AND ACCENT -- INCENTIVES FOR CAPITAL IN
01:18:54GENERAL ONE IS NOT SUPPORTING THE AMERICAN WORKER.
01:18:57BECAUSE IN GENERAL WE ARE JUST GIVING A BUNCH OF TAX BREAKS TO
01:19:00PEOPLE WHO ARE SPENDING IT ON THINGS THAT ARE TRYING TO GET
01:19:03RID OF JOBS AND GET RID OF AMERICAN WORKERS.
01:19:07AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S A BENEFIT TO LIKE THE AVERAGE
01:19:11AMERICAN VOTER WHO IS NOT VOTING FOR THAT KIND OF STUFF HOPEFULLY.
01:19:14>> WHO GETS TO DECIDE IF A
01:19:19BUSINESS IS OR IS NOT HELPING THE AMERICAN WORKER.
01:19:21>> IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BUSINESS IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY.
01:19:24HOST: TAX BREAKS FOR FOLKS FOR
01:19:28BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT HELPING.
01:19:30>> I THINK OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE
01:19:35ON TRYING TO GIVE -- I DON'T
01:19:40KNOW IF IT'S EXACT BUT TRYING TO MAKE A SOCIETY WHERE OUR
01:19:43POLICIES BENEFIT THE MOST PEOPLE, NOT JUST THE RICHEST PEOPLE.
01:19:48>> THAT IS MATT IN FALLS CHURCH,
01:19:53VIRGINIA. THIS IS JIM, IDAHO REPUBLICAN. GO AHEAD.
01:19:56CALLER: YES, I STARTED WORK BACK
01:20:03IN HIGH SCHOOL AND WORKED ALL
01:20:04THE WAY UP FOR 50 YEARS IN THE
01:20:08WORKFORCE AND WHAT TRUMP IS
01:20:10TRYING TO DO IS BRING IT BACK TO
01:20:16AMERICA FIRST FOR AMERICA TO BE
01:20:25ON THEIR OWN AND NOT HAVE TO
01:20:28DEPEND ON FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
01:20:32SO --
01:20:41YOU KNOW I'VE DONE QUITE WELL.
01:20:45I'M A U.S. VETERAN.
01:20:48I SIGNED UP FOR THE AIR FORCE TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE DRAFT FOR VIETNAM.
01:20:54SO -- THAT'S JUST THE WAY THINGS ARE.
01:20:58THANK YOU MUCH.
01:20:59HOST: GO AHEAD AND KEEP CALLING
01:21:03INBRED LINE FOR DEMOCRATS,
01:21:05REPUBLICANS AND INDEPENDENTS. CALLING IT ON THE TOPICS YOU
01:21:10WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. LET'S FOCUS ON ELECTIONS FOR A
01:21:13FEW MOMENTS MORE. SOUTH CAROLINA'S SPECIAL PRIMARY
01:21:17RUNOFF TAKING PLACE TODAY IT'S
01:21:19THE RACE TO SEE WHO WILL BE THE REPUBLICAN ON THE BALLOT IN
01:21:23NOVEMBER.
01:21:25FEATURES LATE CENTRE SINGH --
01:21:29LINDSEY GRAHAM SISTER AND RALPH NORMAN. THE CONGRESSMAN FROM NORTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA.
01:21:33JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT IT IS ALEX HERNANDEZ OF POLITICO.
01:21:37THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AHEAD OF WHAT COULD BE A LONG NIGHT.
01:21:41TAKE US THROUGH THE RACE FOR
01:21:42THIS RUNOFF AND WHAT THE POLLS
01:21:45SAY HEADING IN TO THIS VOTING.
01:21:47GUEST: THANKS FOR HAVING ME. YOU LAID OUT QUITE NICELY.
01:21:52STARTING UNDERWAY LAST MONTH
01:21:57AFTER SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM PASSED AWAY UNEXPECTEDLY. THAT KICKED OFF A SERIES OF
01:22:00DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT HAVE LED TO THIS MOMENT WHICH BEGAN WITH
01:22:04REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR HENRY MCMASTER APPOINTING GRAM'S
01:22:08YOUNGER SISTER TO FILL OUT THE
01:22:11REMAINDER OF HIS TERM WHICH IS SET TO EXPIRE IN JANUARY.
01:22:16SOMEWHAT UNEXPECTEDLY A COUPLE
01:22:17WEEKS LATER WITH AN EARLY
01:22:21ENDORSEMENT FROM THE PRESIDENT SHE DECIDED TO MOUNT HER OWN BED
01:22:24FOR A FULL TERM IN THAT SEAT.
01:22:27WITHOUT HAVING HELD POLITICAL OFFICE BEFORE AND SO AS YOU
01:22:31MENTIONED THE RUNOFF ELECTION TODAY, THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN
01:22:34THE FIRST ROUND OF PRIMARY VOTING HERE.
01:22:37WE SAW SEVERAL REPUBLICANS JUMP
01:22:39INTO THE RACE, RALPH NORMAN, WHO
01:22:42IS IN THE RUNOFF A LONGTIME
01:22:45MEMBER OF THE FREEDOM CAUCUS, AS
01:22:48WELL AS RUSSELL FRY FROM THE MYRTLE BEACH AREA AND FORMER GOVERNOR AND MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
01:22:52IT WAS PRETTY FULL CROWD AND WAS
01:22:58NARROWED DOWN TO DARLINE GRAHAM AND RALPH NORMAN.
01:23:00KICKING OFF THIS EVENING.
01:23:02AND WHAT'S BEEN REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT THIS RACE IS
01:23:06THERE'S BEEN VERY LITTLE POLLING
01:23:09PARTICULARLY FOR THIS TWO WEEK STRETCH OF THE RUNOFF.
01:23:13PUTTING OUT A POLL THAT
01:23:15BASICALLY WAS NECK AND NECK WITHIN .2 PERCENTAGE POINTS.
01:23:21THAT WOULD BE QUITE THE ANSWER FOR EVERYONE WAITING ON WHO IS
01:23:25UP AND WHO'S DOWN. OVERALL IT WILL BE QUITE THE
01:23:28TEST FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP DECIDING TO PUT HIS FORCE BEHIND
01:23:32DARLINE GRAHAM. HE HAS SPENT MONEY ON HER BEHALF .
01:23:35HE TRAVELED DOWN LATE LAST WEEK FOR A RALLY.
01:23:39SO HE IS REALLY ALL IN HERE AND THE QUESTION WILL BE WHETHER YOU
01:23:42WILL TAKE A POLITICAL NEWCOMER ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
01:23:46HOST: THAT MARGIN OF ERROR DIFFERENCE IN THE POLL YOU
01:23:50TALKED ABOUT THAT IS CERTAINLY
01:23:53CLOSER THAN THE EARLY POLLING THAT CAME OUT BUT HAD DARLINE GRAHAM UP.
01:23:59IS THIS THE MOMENT OF THIS RACE OF PEOPLE PROBABLY REMEMBER IS
01:24:03THE FOREIGN POLICY AND DEFENSE DEBATE QUESTION THE DARLINE
01:24:06GRAHAM GOT DURING THIS LAST
01:24:12WEEK. IT WAS RALPH NORMAN WHO WAS AGAIN HARPING ON IT YESTERDAY
01:24:16AND IF SHE DOES LOSE THIS RACE,
01:24:19DO YOU THINK THAT WILL BE THE MOMENT THAT THIS RACE TURNS?
01:24:21GUEST: CERTAINLY A MOMENT THAT
01:24:23GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION.
01:24:25FROM THE OUTSET SHE WAS TRYING TO REALLY DIFFERENTIATE HERSELF
01:24:29FROM HER OLDER BROTHERS MORE
01:24:32HAWKISH FOREIGN POLICY LEGACY AFTER SHE ANNOUNCED HER BID WITH
01:24:35FOX NEWS SHE TOLD SEAN HANNITY
01:24:38MY FOCUS ISN'T ON FOREIGN
01:24:42AFFAIRS MY FOCUS IS ON AFFORDABILITY. USUALLY TRY TO FOCUS IN ON
01:24:46DOMESTIC ISSUES AND THAT REALLY SORT OF UNFORTUNATELY FOR HER CAME TO THE FOREFRONT IN THAT
01:24:51DEBATE WHEN SHE WAS STUMPED ON A
01:24:54QUESTION ON TAIWAN AND SAID
01:24:56NATIONAL SECURED WASN'T HER THING. THAT REALLY OPENED HER UP TO A
01:25:00SERIES OF ATTACKS FROM NOT ONLY
01:25:03NORMAN BUT HIS ALLIES TO USE THAT MOMENT THAT THIS IS THE
01:25:07MOMENT TO BE SENDING SOMEONE WITH VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE TO THE SENATE.
01:25:11WHETHER THAT WILL RESONATE WITH VOTERS IS A DIFFERENT STORY.
01:25:16GRAHAM WAS ASKED ABOUT THE TAIWAN MOMENT YET AGAIN AND SET
01:25:21UP AND TRAVELING AROUND THE STATE TALKING TO DOZENS AND
01:25:23HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT THAT MOMENT ONCE.
01:25:27WHETHER THAT IS IN A MOMENT OF
01:25:28SPIN OR SOMETHING SOUTH
01:25:31CAROLINIANS AREN'T REALLY THINKING ABOUT IN THE FOREFRONT OF THEIR MINDS LATER TONIGHT.
01:25:35HOST: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON
01:25:39TURNOUT EXPECTATIONS FOR A
01:25:42SPECIAL PRIMARY RUNOFF AFTER PRIMARIES ALREADY TOOK PLACE IN
01:25:46JUNE IN THE PALMETTO STATE AND THEN AS FOLKS ARE WATCHING THE
01:25:51RESULTS, IN RALPH NORMAN'S CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN THAT
01:25:54NORTHERN CENTRAL PART OF SOUTH
01:25:56CAROLINA FROM THE OUTSKIRTS,
01:25:58CHARLOTTE ALONG THE BORDER DOWN TO THE NORTH AND EAST SIDE OF COLUMBIA.
01:26:04WHERE IS DARLINE GRAHAM BASED?
01:26:08WHERE IS THE EXPECTATION SHE NEEDS TO RUN UP THE TOTAL TO WIN THE SPECIAL PRIMARY.
01:26:13GUEST: GRAHAM PERFORMED WELL IN
01:26:18THE MIDLANDS REGION OF THE STATE IN AND AROUND COLUMBIA.
01:26:21WHAT THE KEY FOR HER IS AN
01:26:24ENDORSEMENT FROM RUSSELL FRY REPRESENTING THE AREA OF THE
01:26:28STATE AROUND MYRTLE BEACH.
01:26:30HE THREW HIS SUPPORT BEHIND HER.
01:26:32THE MYRTLE BEACH AREA WERE
01:26:35PRESIDENT TRUMP CAME OUT TO DO THAT RALLY.
01:26:37THE CAMPAIGN IS FOCUSED ON MORE
01:26:41OF CONGRESSMAN FRIES VOTE FOR THE FIRST TIME AROUND. PD AND MYRTLE BEACH WILL BE INTERESTING TO WATCH.
01:26:48THE UPSTATE WILL LIKELY TURN OUT NORMAN AGAIN.
01:26:51REALLY THE LAST ONE OF THE FEW OUTSTANDING PARTS WERE TURNOUT
01:26:55COULD MATTER USING THE LOW
01:27:00COUNTRY, CHARLESTON DOWN TO
01:27:02BEAUFORT, THAT PART OF THE STATE
01:27:06VOTED PRETTY STRONGLY FOR FORMER GOVERNOR STANFORD.
01:27:09DR. SANFORD WHO WENT ON TO ENDORSE NORMAN.
01:27:13WE WILL SEE IF THAT GOES TO NORMAN OR GRAHAM OR SPLITS.
01:27:16PRETTY TELLING OF WHERE THE RESULTS END UP BEING.
01:27:20AS FAR AS TURNOUT, COMMON
01:27:24PRACTICE THIS WEEK PARTICULARLY FOR RUNOFF EXPECTED TO BE MUCH
01:27:29LOWER, WE ARE STILL IN THE DOLDRUMS OF SUMMER IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
01:27:34IT IS HOT, KIDS ARE ALREADY BACK TO SCHOOL.
01:27:38FOLKS ARE BACK TO THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES. GETTING BACK CLOSER TO THE FALL
01:27:43SO PEOPLE HAVE PROBABLY TURNED OFF A LITTLE BIT FROM POLLOCK --
01:27:46POLITICS BEFORE THE GENERAL ELECTION. SOME NUMBERS HAVE LOOKED PRETTY
01:27:51SOLID IN THE UPSTATE BUT WE WILL
01:27:55GIVE IT A DAY TO SEE THE TURNOUT.
01:27:57HOST: WHAT SHOULD VIEWERS KNOW
01:28:01ABOUT THE DEMOCRATS WAITING FOR THE WINNER OF TONIGHT'S SPECIAL
01:28:04PRIMARY RUNOFF, THE ONE THEY WILL FACE IN THE GENERAL
01:28:08ELECTION, ANNIE ANDREWS.
01:28:10GUEST: ANNIE ANDREWS IS THE
01:28:17NOMINEE. SHE WON THE NOMINATION OUTRIGHT
01:28:20IN THE JUNE PRIMARY. SHE WAS ABLE TO STAVE OFF A RUNOFF.
01:28:24SHE HAS BEEN SITTING HERE WAITING FOR GENERAL ELECTION OPPONENT.
01:28:28IT WAS PREPARED TO CAMPAIGN AGAINST THEM -- PREPARED TO
01:28:31CAMPAIGN AGAINST FORMER SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE
01:28:35HOW SHE RE-TOOLS HER CAMPAIGN
01:28:37WHOEVER HER OPPONENT MIGHT BE. SHE HAS BEEN BARNSTORMING THE
01:28:41STATE, AS THE DNC HAS TURNED --
01:28:47THEY PUT THEIR STATE FIRST IN THE NOMINATION PROCESS.
01:28:52A PRETTY RED STATE SO IT WOULD TAKE A LOT FOR DEMOCRATS TO WIN
01:28:56STATEWIDE WE WILL SEE WHO SHE IS
01:28:57MATCHED UP WITH IN THE BALANCE OF POWER FOR WASHINGTON THIS FALL.
01:29:01HOST: AS RESULTS COME IN, POLITICO A GREAT PLACE TO CHECK.
01:29:07ALEX HERNANDEZ -- ALEC HERNANDEZ
01:29:10AND HIS COLLEAGUES, NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER THANK YOU FOR THE TIME ON THE WASHINGTON JOURNAL.
01:29:14GUEST: MY PLEASURE.
01:29:16>> MORE CALLS IN OPEN FORUM.
01:29:21LARRY IS WAITING IN CHICAGO, INDEPENDENT. LARRY, GO AHEAD.
01:29:25CALLER: THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY CALL.
01:29:31A NICE JOB THROUGH THE WEEKEND FOR THE BOOK FAIR. HOST: WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE
01:29:35AUTHORS YOU SAW?
01:29:36CALLER: YOU AND MARTIN SCORSESE
01:29:41ON, MY LEAST FAVORITE MOVIE DIRECTOR.
01:29:43FRANK CAPRA WAS MY MENTOR SO
01:29:48FRANK CAPRA WAS SOMEONE I REALLY RESPECTED. BUT IN THE MEANTIME BACK TO REALITY.
01:29:52THIS IS NATIONAL SUICIDE AWARENESS MONTH.
01:29:57I THINK WE STILL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE DIVIDED COUNTRY AND HERE IS MY SOLUTION.
01:30:05WHO HUNG THEMSELVES AND PRAY, I
01:30:09WILL HEAR FROM THEM HEAVEN AND HEAL THE LAND.
01:30:12WE WANT TO GET BACK TO NORMAL
01:30:15AND I THINK WE CAN DO IT WITH
01:30:19LAMB LEADING THE WAY WITH C-SPAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
01:30:21HOST: THIS IS JOE IN INDIANA,
01:30:28INDEPENDENT, LAST COLOR IN OPEN FORUM. GO AHEAD.
01:30:31CALLER: THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY CALL.
01:30:34CAN YOU HEAR ME ALL RIGHT? HOST: YES, SIR.
01:30:37GOOD CALLER: THANK YOU.
01:30:40I CALLED AND JUST AT THE END OF THE LAST SEGMENT.
01:30:44THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN CALLER AND IT SOUND LIKE HE WAS PRETTY
01:30:48ADVANCED IN AGE AND HE MENTIONED -- SORRY.
01:30:56HE MENTIONED TRUMP AND MAKE AMERICA -- HE MUST MAKE AMERICA FIRST.
01:31:00NO OFFENSE AND I WISH THE OLDER
01:31:04GENERATION THE BEST, BUT I THINK
01:31:06SOMETIMES THEY ARE TOO TRUSTING AND REMEMBER POLITICS AND
01:31:10GOVERNMENT FROM THE WAY IT USED
01:31:11TO BE, AND MAYBE NOT REALIZE
01:31:14WHAT PEOPLE ARE FACING TODAY.
01:31:17AS FAR AS DARLINE GRAHAM GOES,
01:31:22I'M SURPRISED THAT THE PRESIDENT
01:31:27ENDORSED HER. IT HE KNOWS MORE ABOUT HER THAN
01:31:28WE DO, BUT BEING A TOTAL
01:31:34NEWCOMER. HER COMMENT ON NATIONAL DEFENSE,
01:31:37THAT SEEMS TO BE A PILLAR OF
01:31:41REPUBLICAN POLITICS AND SHE SAYS SHE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
01:31:46THAT WAS INTERESTING.
01:31:49MY FINAL COMMENT REAL QUICK,
01:31:50THAT DARLINE GRAHAM I THINK
01:31:56WORKS FOR VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICES.
01:32:02IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND HAD QUITE A LONG CAREER THERE.
01:32:06WITH THE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL
01:32:07CUTTING AROUND I THINK $2.5
01:32:13BILLION FROM SOUTH CAROLINA'S SOCIAL SERVICES, IT WOULD BE
01:32:16INTERESTING IF SOMEONE ASKED HER IF SHE SUPPORTS THEM.
01:32:20IF SHE THINKS THAT THERE CUTS TO
01:32:24-- THEIR CUTS TO VOC REHAB ARE
01:32:31GOOD. HOST: ABOUT A HALF-HOUR LEFT.
01:32:33YOU TWO GUESSES LATER ON.
01:32:36THE ATLANTIC'S TOM NICHOLS WILL DISCUSS FOREIGN POLICY AND DEFENSE ISSUES BUT FIRST IT IS
01:32:40THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
01:32:46MAGAZINE'S EXECUTIVE EDITOR JAMES ANTLE TALKING ABOUT POLITICS AND NEWS OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE THIS WEEK. WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK.
01:32:51♪
01:33:05♪
01:33:17>> C-SPAN WHEREVER YOU ARE WITH C-SPAN NOW, OUR FREE MOBILE VIDEO APP THAT PUTS YOU AT THE
01:33:21CENTER OF DEMOCRACY LIVE AND ON-DEMAND.
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01:33:47AT THE APPLE STORE INTO GOOGLE PLAY. DOWNLOADED FOR FREE TODAY.
01:33:52C-SPAN, DEMOCRACY UNFILTERED.
01:33:55>> BEST IDEAS AND BEST PRACTICES
01:34:00CAN BE FOUND ANYWHERE. >> WE HAVE TO LISTEN SO WE CAN
01:34:04GOVERN BETTER. >> DEMOCRACY DEPENDS ON HEAVY
01:34:07DOSES OF CIVILITY. >> YOU CAN FIGHT BUT STILL BE FRIENDLY.
01:34:10>> BRIDGING THE DIVIDE IN AMERICAN POLITICS. >> YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH A
01:34:15DEMOCRAT ON ANYTHING, BUT YOU CAN FIND AREAS WHERE YOU DO AGREE.
01:34:18>> WE ARE ACTUALLY FRIENDS APPEAR KEY VOTES WRONG ALL THE
01:34:20TIME BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY FRIENDS. >> A HORRIBLE SECRET SCOTT AND I
01:34:24HAVE IS WE ACTUALLY RESPECT EACH OTHER. >> WE DON'T HATE EACH OTHER.
01:34:28>> YOU THAT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF LIKE EACH OTHER.
01:34:30THESE ARE THE SECRETS WE LIKE TO EXPOSE.
01:34:33>> YOU DID AGREE TO THIS ABILITY, ALL RIGHT?
01:34:37>> HE OWES MY SON $10 FROM A BET. >> FORK IT OVER.
01:34:41>> THEM'S FIGHTING WORDS. >> I'M THRILLED TO BE ON THE SHOW WITH HIM.
01:34:46>> THAT ARE NOT SHOWS LIKE THIS
01:34:49INCENTIVIZING THAT RELATIONSHIP.
01:34:50>> \ CEASE-FIRE, FRIDAY
01:34:54NIGHTS ON C-SPAN.
01:35:03>> "WASHINGTON JOURNAL" CONTINUES. HOST: WITH 10 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2026 WE ARE JOINED
01:35:06BY JAMES ANTLE, EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF WASHINGTON EXAMINER MAGAZINE.
01:35:09WHO DO YOU THINK WINS TODAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR THE RIGHT TO REPRESENT REPUBLICANS ON THE
01:35:14BALLOT IN NOVEMBER FOR LINDSEY GRAHAM'S OLD SEAT?
01:35:18GUEST: INTERESTING QUESTION. DARLINE GRAHAM WON THE FIRST
01:35:21ROUND OF VOTING, THAT AS WE SAW IN THE GOVERNOR'S RACE, THE
01:35:26PERSON WHO WINS THE FIRST ROUND DOESN'T NECESSARILY WIN IN THE RUNOFF.
01:35:29SHE HAS HAD A TOUGH WEEK OR SO,
01:35:33PARTICULARLY AFTER HER DEBATE PERFORMANCE.
01:35:36THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AS TO WHETHER HER LEVEL OF
01:35:38EXPERIENCE IS SUITED FOR SERVING
01:35:42IN THAT SENATE SEAT. SHE CLEARLY HAS A LOT OF HER
01:35:46BROTHER'S STAFF STILL WITH HER,
01:35:49BUT IT WILL BE AN INTERESTING DYNAMIC. IT'S ALSO A TEST OF PRESIDENT
01:35:53TRUMP'S ENDORSEMENT POWER.
01:35:55HE IS SUPPORTING HER. HE ENCOURAGED HER TO RUN FOR THE
01:36:00FULL SIX-YEAR TERM RATHER THAN
01:36:01JUST BEING A PLACEHOLDER IN
01:36:06THAT SENATE SEAT AFTER HER BROTHER'S DEATH.
01:36:08SO WHETHER HE CAN GET HER ACROSS
01:36:13THE FINISH LINE WILL BE A BIG TEST. SHE'S HAD A TOUGH WEEK.
01:36:16HOST: WHY DO YOU THINK HE ENDORSED HER?
01:36:20IF RALPH NORMAN WINS TONIGHT WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF A DONALD TRUMP
01:36:23ENDORSEMENT AS WE GET THIS FAR INTO HIS SECOND TERM?
01:36:26GUEST: I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN HE
01:36:30ENDORSES LOYALISTS WHO ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE STRONGEST
01:36:32CANDIDATES IS ENDORSEMENT IS
01:36:34IMPORTANT BUT NOT NECESSARILY DECISIVE.
01:36:37IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW,
01:36:43IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY DETERMINE THE FUTURE, BUT AS A REPUBLICAN
01:36:46YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE IT THAN NOT.
01:36:48I THINK HE SAW IT AS A TRIBUTE
01:36:53TO THE LATE SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM WHO WAS A CLOSE ALLY OF THIS WHITE HOUSE.
01:36:56I THINK THAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS A
01:37:04-- YOU KNOW, SORT OF A WAY OF
01:37:06PAYING TRIBUTE TO HIM AND HIS LEGACY.
01:37:09ALSO, RALPH NORMAN IS A
01:37:13PARTICULARLY STRINGENT MEMBER OF THE FREEDOM CAUCUS.
01:37:16I THINK THE PRESIDENT PROBABLY DOESN'T WANT TO MANY OF THOSE
01:37:19TYPES OF PEOPLE IN THE SENATE. HE WANTS PEOPLE WHO ARE COOPERATIVE.
01:37:22HE WANTS PEOPLE WHO WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE
01:37:26ADMINISTRATION'S AGENDA. HE WANTS PEOPLE WHO WILL VOTE FOR BILLS AND CLOSE CALLS.
01:37:30HE MAY BE DOESN'T THINK
01:37:35RALPH NORMAN WILL DO THAT. HOST: 10 WEEKS FROM ELECTION DAY
01:37:39THE FRONT PAGES ARE TRADE WAR WITH CANADA, A NEW SANCTIONS --
01:37:43LATEST ATTEMPT TO CREATE SOME MOVEMENT IN THE ONGOING CONFLICT
01:37:47WITH IRAN. LAST WEEK IT WAS CROSSING THE
01:37:50$40 TRILLION DEBT THRESHOLD. ARE THESE THE ISSUES IN PLACES
01:37:54THAT REPUBLICANS WANT TO BE
01:37:59TWO MONTHS AND TWO WEEKS FROM ELECTION DAY? GUEST: NO.
01:38:03THE DEFINING ISSUE OF THIS ELECTION IS AFFORDABILITY AS IT
01:38:07WAS IN 2024 IN 2025.
01:38:10FOR THE FOCUS TO BE ON TARIFFS, HOW BIG THE DEBT IS GETTING, FOR
01:38:13THE FOCUS TO BE ON HOW INTEREST RATES ARE GOING TO REMAIN, AND
01:38:18FOR IT TO BE ON A FOREIGN WAR --
01:38:21NO, I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHERE REPUBLICANS WANT TO BE. BUT IT HAPPENS TO BE WHERE THEY
01:38:25ARE SO THEY WILL HAVE TO FIGHT
01:38:26ON THAT TERRAIN.
01:38:30I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL TRY TO GET REPUBLICANS TO STAY THE COURSE ON IRAN.
01:38:36HE WILL SHIFT THE FOCUS AWAY
01:38:38FROM KINETIC MILITARY ACTIONS
01:38:41TOWARDS THIS IDEA OF MAXIMIZING
01:38:45ECONOMIC PRESSURE ON THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT.
01:38:49THAT DOES COME AT SOME COST TO AMERICAN CONSUMERS AS WELL.
01:38:54ACCESS TO THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS KEEPING GAS AND OIL PRICES
01:38:58HIGHER THAN YOU WOULD IDEALLY
01:39:03LIKE IT TO BE IF YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN DEFENDING YOUR NARROW MAJORITIES.
01:39:07THERE ARE A LOT OF VOTERS WHO WANT THE PRESIDENT'S FOCUS TO BE
01:39:10SOMEWHERE EARTH DUTCH
01:39:13SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN WHERE IT IS BUT THIS IS WHERE THINGS ARE AT RIGHT NOW.
01:39:17HOST: DOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT THE $40 TRILLION IN DEBT THE UNITED
01:39:20STATES IS CURRENTLY IN? AND COUNTING, I SHOULD SAY.
01:39:25GUEST: 30 PLUS YEARS AGO THE DEFICIT WAS A MAJOR POLITICAL ISSUE.
01:39:30WE DID HAVE A SHORT-LIVED BALANCED BUDGET AT THE END OF
01:39:33THE 1990'S AND BEGINNING OF THE 2000'S. IT DIDN'T LAST VERY LONG.
01:39:39AT THAT TIME THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT IT AND IT WAS A
01:39:42LOT SMALLER THAN IT IS TODAY.
01:39:44$40 TRILLION NATIONAL DEBT. THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE QUITE
01:39:48THE SAME URGENCY FROM EITHER PARTY.
01:39:51BUT A BIG PART OF IT IS IN THE
01:39:55EARLIER PART OF THIS CENTURY INTEREST RATES WERE LOW.
01:39:57SO THE COST OF SERVICING THE DEBT WAS RELATIVELY LOW.
01:40:01NOW IT IS A LOT HIGHER.
01:40:06IT IS CROWDING OUT A LOT OF
01:40:07OTHER PARTS OF THE
01:40:10FEDERAL BUDGET THAT VOTERS WANT. THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS TO HAVE A
01:40:13REAL ECONOMIC IMPACT, WHICH HE
01:40:16DIDN'T REALLY HAVE EARLIER IN
01:40:18YEARS PRIOR, IS MUCH HIGHER.
01:40:22SO WE WILL HAVE TO SEE IF THAT
01:40:24MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF HOW VARIOUS POLITICAL ACTORS RESPONDED TO IT.
01:40:29HOST: JIM ANTAL IS OUR -- JIM
01:40:33ANTLE IS OUR GUEST ABOUT 70 DAYS
01:40:37FROM ELECTION DAY, GIVE US A
01:40:42CALL. PHONE LINES ARE OPEN. REPUBLICANS, (202) 748-8001.
01:40:47DEMOCRATS, (202) 748-8000.
01:40:49INDEPENDENTS, (202) 748-8002.
01:40:52HE WRITES FOR THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER MAGAZINE. WHAT ARE YOU WRITING ABOUT THIS WEEK?
01:40:57GUEST: WE WILL REMAIN PRETTY
01:41:00HEAVILY FOCUSED ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS. WE HAVE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF
01:41:04THE 9/11 TERRORIST ATTACKS IN THE UNITED STATES COMING UP.
01:41:08QUIT HAS THAT MEANT FOR DOMESTIC
01:41:11POLICY -- WHAT HAS THAT MEANT FOR DOMESTIC POLITICS, FOR
01:41:14AMERICA'S ROLE IN THE WORLD? IT IS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE.
01:41:21IT FEELS LIKE QUITE A LONG TIME AGO.
01:41:26YOU HAVE -- IN THE DAYS AFTER
01:41:289/11, HE WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN
01:41:33LIKELY AS ZOHRAN MAMDANI WOULD BE THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY,
01:41:36BUT HE IS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR NEW YORK
01:41:39CITY AND FOR POLITICS NATIONALLY?
01:41:43YOU SEE THIS ASCENDANCY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
01:41:50-- SOCIALIST WING OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
01:41:52HOST: THE SOCIALIST WING OF THE
01:41:55DEMOCRATIC PARTY, HOW DO YOU SEE A PERFORMING IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS?
01:41:59A PRIMARY IS DIFFERENT THAN A MIDTERM ELECTION OF THE
01:42:02CANDIDATES WHERE WE SAW SURPRISES WHERE DEMOCRATIC
01:42:06SOCIALISTS DID WELL THIS PRIMARY SEASON. WHO SHOULD REPUBLICANS BE MOST
01:42:10WORRIED ABOUT? GUEST: ALL OF THE SOCIALISTS WHO WON HOUSE PRIMARIES ARE GOING TO
01:42:14DO WELL. THEY ARE GOING TO WIN THEIR
01:42:17ELECTIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL IN DEEP BLUE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS.
01:42:21THE QUESTION WILL BE HOW SOME OF
01:42:22THE SENATE CANDIDATES FARE.
01:42:28THE SOCIALIST-ADJACENT CANDIDATES IN MICHIGAN, MAINE,
01:42:31AND MINNESOTA, HOW DO THEY DO?
01:42:37WISCONSIN, THE GOVERNOR'S RACE, THE GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY.
01:42:41THEY HAVE DONE WELL OVERALL AND DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES.
01:42:47THEY HAVE BEATEN SOME ENTRENCHED INCUMBENTS IN HOUSE RACES.
01:42:52I THINK THIS HAS MADE SOME OF
01:42:55THE BLUE STATE SENATE RACES MORE COMPETITIVE THAN THEY OTHERWISE
01:42:58WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR SAFER
01:43:01DEMOCRATIC NOMINEES, PLACES
01:43:04LIKELY TO BE A PRETTY GOOD DEMOCRATIC YEAR.
01:43:09THE FACT THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGHT TO WIN A SENATE RACE IN
01:43:12MICHIGAN -- SUSAN COLLINS HAS
01:43:16BEEN A TOUGH OUT FOR DEMOCRATS WHEN THEY TRIED TO CHALLENGE HER AND SHE HAS GENERALLY PERFORMED
01:43:20IN THE POLL NUMBERS, BUT IT'S GOING TO HAVE A PRETTY BIG 20
01:43:24IMPLICATION AS WELL -- 2028
01:43:28IMPLICATIONS AS WELL. IF THE SOCIALISTS IN THE
01:43:31BATTLEGROUND STATES, IF THEY DO WELL, THAT WOULD BE A PRETTY BIG
01:43:37BOON FOR SAY ALEXANDRIA
01:43:38OCASIO-CORTEZ OR ANY SOCIALIST
01:43:41WHO DECIDES TO RUN FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION.
01:43:45WHEREAS IF THEY DON'T DO WELL,
01:43:48IF THEY LOSE OR IF THERE RACES
01:43:50ARE CLOSE, DEMOCRATS WILL
01:43:58HAVE CONCERNS IT WILL BECOME A BIG PROBLEM FOR THAT WING OF THE PARTY.
01:44:01HOST: AS WE COME TO THE END OF
01:44:05THE SUMMER DO YOU THINK DEMOCRATS HAVE IMPROVE THEIR CHANCES OF TAKING THE SENATE
01:44:08OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST THREE MONTHS?
01:44:10GUEST: I WOULDN'T SAY THEY'VE
01:44:15IMPROVED THEM BECAUSE THEY'VE
01:44:20NOMINATED SOME CANDIDATES I THINK MAKE SOME OF THESE BLUE
01:44:22STATE SENATE RACES LESS CERTAIN
01:44:25THAN THEY OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN, BUT THEY ARE STILL IN A PRETTY GOOD POSITION.
01:44:31THEY SEEM TO BE WELL POSITIONED EVEN IN SOME OF THE RED STATES
01:44:34WHERE YOU HAVE SENATORS.
01:44:39THEY MOSTLY GOT THE NOMINEES
01:44:39THEY WANTED AND ARE PULLING
01:44:44PRETTY WELL IN PLACES LIKE
01:44:47ALASKA, IOWA, OHIO, CERTAINLY
01:44:49NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA. IN GEORGIA THEY ARE TRYING TO
01:44:53HOLD A SEAT. IN NORTH CAROLINA THEY ARE TRYING TO PICK UP ONE.
01:44:58THEY ARE IN A PRETTY GOOD PLACE,
01:45:00BUT THEY DO HAVE A VERY TOUGH
01:45:03SENATE MAP PUREX TO HAVE PLACES LIKE MICHIGAN AND MAINE REALLY
01:45:07NOT BE SUREFIRE DEMOCRATIC COLDS
01:45:10OR PICKUPS PUTS THEM IN A
01:45:15SOMEWHAT TOUGHER SPOT. I WOULD SAY THEY ARE CLEARLY
01:45:18FAVORED TO RETAKE THE HOUSE, BUT
01:45:21THE SENATE IN MY VIEW REMAINS A TOSSUP.
01:45:24HOST: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE STRATEGY OF CLEARING THE ROAD,
01:45:26ESSENTIALLY, FOR INDEPENDENTS IN
01:45:30PLACES LIKE KANSAS AND NEBRASKA?
01:45:32GUEST: IT IS CERTAINLY SOMEONE
01:45:37WITH THE DEMOCRATIC LABEL WON'T DO AS WELL. THOSE ARE REPUBLICAN STATES.
01:45:41THIS GIVES THEM A BETTER CHANCE.
01:45:45OBVIOUSLY IT LOOKS LIKE
01:45:49SHENANIGANS, PERHAPS, BECAUSE
01:45:53YOU HAVE THE DEMOCRATS NOT RUNNING AS DEMOCRATS.
01:45:55THAT'S GOING TO BOTHER A CERTAIN
01:45:57NUMBER OF VOTERS, BUT CLEARLY
01:46:01THAT IS STRATEGICALLY SOUNDER AND WE WILL HAVE TO SEE HOW THAT
01:46:04PANS OUT. I DON'T THINK MANY OF THOSE
01:46:07CANDIDATES WILL WIN, BUT IT
01:46:11MAKES REPUBLICANS SWEAT IN IT MAKES THEM HAVE TO SPEND MONEY IN STATES WHERE THEY WOULD RATHER NOT.
01:46:15HOST: CHATTING WITH JIM ANTLE,
01:46:18ALWAYS GOOD TO TALK POLITICS WITH HIM. PHONE LINES ARE AS USUAL.
01:46:23DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, INDEPENDENTS.
01:46:25THEY ARE OPEN FOR YOU TO CALL IN.
01:46:29CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, INDEPENDENT, ED, GO AHEAD.
01:46:32CALLER: YES. I'M 91 YEARS OLD.
01:46:38THE FIRST TIME I VOTED WAS IN 1956.
01:46:44I CHANGED MY POLITICS THE NEXT
01:46:45FOUR YEARS AND VOTED FOR MY
01:46:50PRESIDENT I DEARLY LOVED, JOHN F. KENNEDY.
01:46:54I VOTED UNTIL 1978.
01:46:57I QUIT VOTING.
01:47:00I NEVER VOTED UNTIL THE LAST ELECTION.
01:47:02I VOTED THEN.
01:47:07I'M AN INDEPENDENT. I VOTED THEN BECAUSE THE
01:47:10DEMOCRATS -- KNOW THAT JOE BIDEN
01:47:17BELIEVED OUT THERE IN THE RUN. HOST: ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE IN
01:47:21NOVEMBER?
01:47:23CALLER: I'M STILL PICKING AROUND
01:47:28BECAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYBODY THAT I LIKE IT.
01:47:30I CAN'T VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES ANYWAY. I'M INDEPENDENT.
01:47:38NOW I'M OFF MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT BECAUSE I'M 91 YEARS OLD.
01:47:41HOST: THANKS FOR CALLING IN.
01:47:46THAT ED IN WEST VIRGINIA. ED PAYING ATTENTION TO THE MIDTERMS AFTER NONVOTING FOR A
01:47:50LONG TIME. IT SPEAKS TO THE QUESTION OF
01:47:53TURNOUT IN A MIDTERM VERSUS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION THAT ED
01:47:57CAME BACK TO VOTE FOR. GUEST: TURNOUT WILL BE LOWER.
01:48:00THE TURNOUT IS GENERALLY LOWERED MIDTERM ELECTIONS.
01:48:04BUT CERTAINLY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WILL TURN OUT.
01:48:07ONE OF THE REASONS WHY -- EXCUSE ME.
01:48:09ONE OF THE REASONS MIDTERM
01:48:11ELECTIONS GO BADLY FOR THE PARTY THAT CONTROLS THE WHITE HOUSE IS
01:48:15THEIR VOTERS TEND TO BE COMPLACENT OR DEMORALIZED BY
01:48:19THAT TIME, AND VOTERS FOR THE
01:48:23OTHER PARTY ARE ANGRY AND REALLY MOTIVATED TO TURNOUT.
01:48:24THAT, EVEN APART FROM ALL THE
01:48:28OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON RIGHT NOW THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO
01:48:32OUR NATIONAL CONDITIONS SPECIFIC
01:48:35TO A TRUMP, SPECIFIC TO THE POSITIONS OF THE REPUBLICAN
01:48:38PARTY, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT IF YOU ARE THE PARTY IN POWER TO
01:48:41MOTIVATE YOUR PEOPLE TO TURNOUT.
01:48:44WHEREAS THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO VOTE AGAINST YOU ARE VERY PRIMED
01:48:48TO SHOW UP IN FOLK. HOST: IN TERMS OF THE MECHANICS
01:48:52OF VOTING, WE TALKED ABOUT IT IN
01:48:55OUR FIRST SEGMENT, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE PRESIDENT'S
01:48:58EXECUTIVE ORDER ON MAIL-IN BALLOT INCOME OF THE SUPREME COURT'S MOVE YESTERDAY TO AT
01:49:02LEAST FOR NOW ALLOW THAT ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD?
01:49:04IT COULD CAUSE DEMOCRATS ARE
01:49:09SEEING A LOT OF CHAOS BEFORE ELECTION DAY. WE ARE 10 WEEKS FROM ELECTION
01:49:12THEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CHANGING THE WAY MAIL-IN BALLOTS
01:49:15ARE SENT OUT AND HOW THE POSTAL SERVICE DEALS WITH THOSE BALLOTS.
01:49:20GUEST: YEAH. DEPENDING ON HOW CLOSE SOME OF THESE ELECTIONS ARE, IT COULD
01:49:24BECOMING A REAL -- IT COULD BECOME A REAL ISSUE.
01:49:27IF THERE ARE ELECTIONS THAT
01:49:31HINGE ON THE MAIL-IN BALLOTS, YOU COULD SEE A REAL ISSUE THERE.
01:49:34I SUSPECT THAT MOST OF THESE
01:49:40SENATE RACES AND HOUSE RACES WILL NOT BE SO CLOSE THAT THAT
01:49:43WILL BE THE DIFFERENCE MAKER,
01:49:44BUT CLEARLY THAT'S GOING TO BE A
01:49:49REAL ISSUE OF ANY OF THESE RACES COME DOWN TO THE WIRE.
01:49:53YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE -- WHO
01:49:57CONTROLS THE SENATE COULD BE A VERY CLOSE CALL.
01:50:00IF YOU HAVE A RACE WHERE THE CALL IS DELAYED BY NUMBER OF
01:50:05DAYS, THIS CERTAINLY WON'T HELP THAT.
01:50:09HOST: THIS IS ANNE IN MOORESVILLE. GO AHEAD.
01:50:13CALLER: I JUST WANTED TO SAY I
01:50:16THINK THE ONLY TALKING POINT
01:50:20THAT THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
01:50:22FOR HOUSE OR SENATE NEED IS THAT
01:50:28WE HAVE THREE COEQUAL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT.
01:50:31THIS CONGRESS HAS COMPLETELY
01:50:35SUBJUGATED ITSELF TO THE EXECUTIVE.
01:50:36WE NEED VOICES THERE THAT WILL
01:50:42STAND UP AND PULL BACK THE RESPONSIBILITIES.
01:50:44HOST: JIM ANTLE, YOUR THOUGHTS
01:50:49ON THAT AS A CAMPAIGN MESSAGE FOR DEMOCRATS OF THE NEXT 10 WEEKS?
01:50:51GUEST: I THINK DEMOCRATS ARE
01:50:54GOING TO EMPHASIZE THE OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES OF CONGRESS.
01:50:59YOU SEE IN A LOT OF THE COMPETITIVE RACES THEY ARE
01:51:01SAYING REPUBLICANS ARE
01:51:04RUBBERSTAMPS FOR DONALD TRUMP.
01:51:07COULD THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE THAT. THAT THEY WOULD BE INDEPENDENT
01:51:10OF THE WHITE HOUSE. THEY WOULD BE INDEPENDENT OF THE
01:51:13TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD
01:51:16MESSAGE FOR THEM.
01:51:18THIS HAS BEEN A CONGRESS WITH
01:51:21VERY NARROW MAJORITIES.
01:51:25EVEN AMONG THE REPUBLICAN BASE THERE IS A SENSE THAT THEY HAVEN'T REALLY DONE AS MUCH AS
01:51:29THEY COULD.
01:51:32SOME OF THE CONTROVERSY AROUND
01:51:34THE SAVE ACT, FOR EXAMPLE, IS A
01:51:38LOT OF CONSERVATIVES FEEL THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF A MAJORITY
01:51:41REPUBLICAN CONGRESS NOT REALLY DOING VERY MUCH WITH ITS
01:51:45MAJORITY.
01:51:47I THINK DEMOCRATS CAN RUN
01:51:51AGAINST A DO-NOTHING CONGRESS, A
01:51:53CONGRESS THAT HAS BEEN VERY
01:51:56RELIANT ON OR BEHOLDING TO THE WHITE HOUSE. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD MESSAGE.
01:52:02OBVIOUSLY THE PROCESS IS NOT
01:52:03ALWAYS WHAT GETS THE VOTERS'
01:52:08JUICES FLOWING, BUT CERTAINLY
01:52:09DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO WANT --
01:52:15SAY THAT THEY CAN HAVE SOME SAY
01:52:17AND CONTROL AND WILLING TO PUSH
01:52:19BACK ON THE ADMINISTRATION, WHICH THEY WOULD GAIN IF THEY
01:52:23GOT ONE OR BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS.
01:52:25HOST: ON MESSAGING, PRESIDENT
01:52:28TRUMP WOULD SAY HE IS HIS OWN BEST MESSENGER, BUT IN TERMS OF
01:52:32BEING MESSENGER FOR THE PRESIDENT, WHO DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE NEXT WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY?
01:52:38GUEST: THAT WILL BE INTERESTING. THERE HAS BEEN TALK ABOUT SCOTT
01:52:41JENNINGS WHO HAS BEEN A CNN COMMENTATOR -- LONGTIME
01:52:44REPUBLICAN OPERATIVE, TIES TO
01:52:48MITCH MCCONNELL. I WOULD BE MILD -- MILDLY
01:52:53SURPRISED IF THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE ONE, THE CAREER
01:52:56TRAJECTORY TENDS TO RUN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
01:52:59YOU BECOME PRESS SECRETARY AND THAT HELPS YOU BUILD A MEDIA CAREER RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY
01:53:04AROUND.
01:53:06THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
01:53:11HE WAS A PRETTY IMPORTANT PUNDIT.
01:53:14IT DOES HAPPEN.
01:53:18ALSO I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
01:53:21MOST SUCCESSFUL PRESS SECRETARIES HAVE BEEN WOMEN NOT
01:53:24MEN.
01:53:28KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHO IS LEAVING THE POSITION.
01:53:31I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE,
01:53:35SUPPORTERS OF THE PRESIDENT, WERE HAPPY WITH THE JOB THAT SHE DID.
01:53:39SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS IS THE GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS. SO SHE DID PRETTY WELL FOR HERSELF.
01:53:44THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE
01:53:46ALREADY INSIDE THE TRUMP ORBIT.
01:53:52AND KELLY -- OF THE PRESIDENT
01:53:56MENTIONED MARGO MORGAN IN THE
01:54:00SAME BREATH AS SCOTT JENNINGS. THEY COULD PROMOTE INTERNALLY OR
01:54:03THEY COULD GO FOR THE BIG
01:54:05OUTSIDE NAME, WHICH I THINK OF
01:54:08THOSE THE BIGGEST NAME WOULD BE JENNINGS.
01:54:09HOST: WHEN YOU GO THAT ROUTE,
01:54:13FROM MEDIA BACK INTO AN ADMINISTRATION, WHAT DOES NOT
01:54:16BRING TO THE PODIUM?
01:54:21WHAT LESSONS ARE THERE FROM THE TONY SNOW'S OF WHITE HOUSE HISTORY?
01:54:25GUEST: THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
01:54:27A CERTAIN SKILL SET, YOU KNOW.
01:54:30THEY ARE USED TO ARGUING ON TELEVISION.
01:54:33THEY ARE USED TO --ONE PROBLEM
01:54:39IS THEY ARE USED TO EXPRESSING THEIR OWN VIEWS RATHER THAN
01:54:41SPEAKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE, WHICH
01:54:43ASKED THE PRESS SECRETARY YOU
01:54:45ARE SPEAKING FOR THE PRESIDENT.
01:54:48BUT IN A LOT OF THESE CASES THEY
01:54:50ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DEFENDED THE PRESIDENT PUREX SO THEY ARE
01:54:54PRETTY SKILLED AT THAT. THEY HAVE SOME OF THE
01:54:57RELATIONSHIPS, SO IT'S VERY MUCH A RELATIONSHIP-BASED BUSINESS.
01:55:02THEY KNOW A LOT OF THESE REPORTERS. THEY WORKED WITH SOME OF THESE REPORTERS.
01:55:07THEY BEEN ON TELEVISION WITH THEM. SO THAT IS CERTAINLY HELPFUL.
01:55:11YOU BRING, A SORT OF, TO AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE.
01:55:15YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO KIND OF KNOWS WHAT ARGUMENTS PLAY.
01:55:20MAYBE YOU HAVE A LITTLE BETTER FAMILIARITY WITH THE SENATE AND THE VOTERS.
01:55:23HOST: WHY DID PAT BUCHANAN BRING
01:55:27TO RONALD REAGAN? GUEST: PAT BUCHANAN AT THAT TIME
01:55:31WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSERVATIVE PUNDITS IN THE COUNTRY.
01:55:35IT WAS AT A TIME WHEN THERE WEREN'T AS MANY CONSERVATIVES ON
01:55:38TELEVISION AS THERE ARE TODAY.
01:55:40HE BROUGHT A CERTAIN MEDIA
01:55:44SAVVY.
01:55:44HE BROUGHT A CERTAIN AMOUNT
01:55:49OF CREDIBILITY FOR CONSERVATIVES AT A TIME WHEN, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
01:55:53FELT LIKE THEY NEEDED REINFORCEMENT ON THAT FRONT FOR THE REAGAN WHITE HOUSE.
01:55:57HE ALSO HAD A LOT OF WHITE HOUSE EXPERIENCE.
01:56:00HE HAD BEEN A VERY CLOSE AIDE OF RICHARD NIXON.
01:56:03HE SERVED BRIEFLY UNDER GERALD FORD.
01:56:05SO HE WAS A PERSON WITH A LOT OF POLITICAL EXPERIENCE.
01:56:08BUT THAT THAT TIME HE WAS ALSO
01:56:10ONE OF THE TOP PEER PUNDITS IN
01:56:15THE COUNTRY, FOR HIM TO SERVE AS WHITE HOUSE MEDICATIONS DIRECTOR
01:56:18I THINK WAS PRETTY HELPFUL FOR RONALD REAGAN AT THAT TIME.
01:56:21HOST: IF IT IS SCOTT JENNINGS,
01:56:24HOW ABOUT DONALD TRUMP'S AWKWARDNESS OF HIS CRITICISM OF MITCH MCCONNELL OVER THE YEARS?
01:56:28SCOTT JENNINGS ALREADY HAD TO
01:56:31NAVIGATE THAT IN CNN, BUT BEING INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE FOR THAT,
01:56:35I'M SURE IT'S SOMETHING THE PRESS CORPS WOULD PROBABLY TRY TO REMIND HIM OF WHILE HE'S AT THE PODIUM.
01:56:40GUEST: YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A GUY AT THE PODIUM UNTIL MITCH
01:56:44MCCONNELL RETURNS TO WASHINGTON, D.C., THAT'S A QUESTION THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ASK.
01:56:48YOU WANT THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY --
01:56:52HOST: MCCONNELL'S SPOKESPERSON
01:56:57OR THE WHITE HOUSE
01:57:01SPOKESPERSON.
01:57:02GUEST: MCCONNELL IS NOT THE
01:57:06REPUBLICAN LEADER ANYMORE BUT HE HAS REMAINED AN IMPORTANT SENATOR AND HE HAS BEEN A SWING
01:57:09VOTE ON SOME OF THE TRUMP NOMINEES.
01:57:12I THINK JENNINGS FOR MCCONNELL
01:57:17WOULD AT LEAST BE A LITTLE AWKWARD.
01:57:20AS LONG AS THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHEN HE'S GOING TO COME
01:57:22BACK AND VOTE, WHEN HE'S GOING
01:57:25TO BE ABLE TO BE IN COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT,
01:57:29DO YOU NECESSARILY WANT TO HAVE THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
01:57:32HAVING TO FIELD THOSE QUESTIONS? YOU PROBABLY DON'T.
01:57:36YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH PROBLEMS.
01:57:38HOST: WASHINGTON, TOM ON THE
01:57:41INDEPENDENT LINE. YOU ARE ON WITH JIM ANTLE.
01:57:44CALLER: YES.
01:57:46I WAS WONDERING, CAN THE STATES
01:57:51MAIL THE BALLOTS TO THE VOTERS
01:57:56ANYWAY? OTHER THAN USING THE MAIL?
01:58:00SEND THEM THROUGH ANOTHER COMPANY?
01:58:02GUEST: I MEAN, PROBABLY NOT IN
01:58:08AS WIDESPREAD OF A WAY AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO IT.
01:58:11I'M TRYING TO THINK.
01:58:15CLEARLY, THERE ARE STATE PARTIES
01:58:17AND SOME PARTY-AFFILIATED GROUPS
01:58:24WHO CERTAINLY TRIED TO MAKE SURE
01:58:25THEIR VOTERS GET BALLOTS, BUT I
01:58:29THINK THEY LARGELY USE THE MAIL TO DO THAT.
01:58:32HOST: IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD BE
01:58:34A HECK OF A CONTRACT FOR A
01:58:36PRIVATE SHIPPING COMPANY TO GET
01:58:38ALL THE MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
01:58:46I IMAGINE THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE SOME INVESTIGATIONS OR CONCERNS IF IT WAS ONE PRIVATE COMPANY. GUEST: THAT WOULD BE THE THING.
01:58:49YOU GET SOME SCRUTINY OVER THAT COMPANY.
01:58:52IF THERE WAS ANYBODY ON THE BOARD, THE CEO --
01:58:54HOST: WHO HAS DONATED TO WHAT.
01:58:57GUEST: WHO HAS DONATED TO WHICH
01:59:00CANDIDATES, WHICH PARTY, THAT WOULD BECOME A MAJOR ISSUE.
01:59:04OBVIOUSLY THE PARTIES THEMSELVES HAVE A VERY STRONG, VESTED
01:59:07INTEREST IN MAKING SURE THEIR
01:59:11BASE GETS THEIR BALLOTS.
01:59:12I THINK THE TIMING OF THE
01:59:17EXECUTIVE ORDER AND AT THE SUPREME COURT ALLOWING IT TO GO
01:59:19FORWARD FOR NOW PROBABLY ISN'T
01:59:23SUPER CONDUCIVE TO ALTERNATIVES TO THE POSTAL SERVICE.
01:59:26IF IT HAPPENED MAYBE SIX MONTHS AGO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPLORED.
01:59:29HOST: STATES ARE ALREADY
01:59:33CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING ALTERNATIVES TO A SPECIFICALLY-DESIGNED ENVELOPE
01:59:37THAT THE BALLOTS NEED TO GO IN AND IF THERE IS TIME FOR THAT STILL USING THE POSTAL SERVICE.
01:59:40GUEST: ABSOLUTELY.
01:59:44FOR ANY KIND OF CHANGE DEVOTING
01:59:49PROTOCOLS, VOTING PROCEDURES, WE ARE PRETTY LATE IN THE GAME.
01:59:53EARLY VOTING IS STARTING NEXT MONTH IN A LOT OF STATES.
01:59:57HOST: WHERE ARE YOU ON THE SAVE
02:00:01ACT AND PRESIDENT TRUMP CONCERNS
02:00:03ABOUT VAST VOTER FRAUD AND
02:00:07ILLEGAL BALLOTS?
02:00:08GUEST: I SUPPORT THE USE OF
02:00:11VOTER
02:00:14GUEST: I SUPPORT THE USE OF VOTER I.D. I THINK THAT SHOULD
02:00:17BE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE EVERYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
02:00:20THE SAVE ACT AS ITS WRITTEN GOES
02:00:24A LITTLE BIT FURTHER THAN THAT.
02:00:26I DON'T THINK IT IS GOING TO
02:00:29PASS, AND EVEN IF IT WERE TO PASS AT THIS POINT, WE'RE PRETTY
02:00:32CLOSE TO THE ELECTIONS, SO I
02:00:34DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF IMPACT
02:00:37IT WOULD REALISTICALLY HAVE.
02:00:39IT WOULD NEED TO PASS PROBABLY
02:00:42IN JUNE OR SO.
02:00:47BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK
02:00:50REPUBLICANS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
02:00:51THE INTEGRITY OF THE ELECTION.
02:00:56I DON'T THINK THAT PASSING OR NOT PASSING THE SAVE ACT IS
02:00:59GOING TO DETERMINE WHO CONTROLS
02:01:02CONGRESS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
02:01:06BUT IT IS A BIG ISSUE FOR A LOT
02:01:08OF REPUBLICAN VOTERS, AND I
02:01:13THINK IT'S ALSO INDICATIVE OF
02:01:18REPUBLICAN VOTERS DON'T FEEL THAT THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITIES
02:01:22HAVE DONE VERY MUCH AND MOST OF WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE THERE'S
02:01:26BEEN UNIFIED REPUBLICAN CONTROL OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IT'S
02:01:30BEEN THROUGH EXECUTIVE ACTION BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, NOT
02:01:33THROUGH ACTS OF CONGRESS, AND IT
02:01:35MAKES THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL AND THAT'S ABOUT IT, AND SOME
02:01:39POST OFFICE RENAMINGS, AND A LOT
02:01:42OF VOTERS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THAT.
02:01:44HOST: DEE IN VIRGINIA SAYS SHE BELIEVES THAT THE CHANGE IN
02:01:47MAIL-IN VOTING WILL HURT REPUBLICANS WAY MORE THAN
02:01:51DEMOCRATS. WANTS TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS
02:01:53THAT, IF IT TAKES PLACE, IF IT BACKFIRES.
02:01:56GUEST: IT CERTAINLY DEPENDS ON THE STATE. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STATES
02:01:59WHERE A LOT OF REPUBLICANS HAVE HISTORICALLY VOTED BY MAIL, AND
02:02:03CERTAINLY A LOT OF MILITARY VOTERS VOTE BY MAIL, AND THAT
02:02:07TENDS TO BE A REPUBLICAN
02:02:09CONSTITUENCY.
02:02:13SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE AREAS WHERE THAT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT,
02:02:17NEGATIVE IMPACT ON REPUBLICANS.
02:02:19I THINK THE VIEW IS OVERALL THAT
02:02:24DEMOCRATS ARE, BECAUSE THIEVEN COURAGED THEIR VOTERS TO VOTE
02:02:27THAT WAY, CERTAINLY DURING THE
02:02:32PANDEMIC THAT OVERALL MAIL-IN VOTING ADVANTAGES THEM, BUT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS NECESSARILY
02:02:35THE CASE, AND CERTAINLY IN 2024,
02:02:38THE GAP ON THAT NARROWED QUITE A
02:02:42BIT, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GET A
02:02:43LOT OF REPUBLICANS TO VOTE BY
02:02:46MAIL, WHETHER THEIR STATES
02:02:48ALLOWED IT, REALLY EVERYBODY
02:02:51WANTS THEIR VOTERS TO UTILIZE
02:02:54EVERY LEGAL METHOD OF VOTING TO
02:02:56MAXIMIZE THE TURNOUT OF THEIR VOTING BLOC.
02:02:59HOST: THIS IS MASON IN DAYTON, OHIO, DEMOCRAT.
02:03:02MASON, GO AHEAD.
02:03:04CALLER: YEAH, I AM GETTING A
02:03:07LITTLE ANNOYED LISTENING TO
02:03:10GUESTS LIKE THIS AND PUNDITS
02:03:12TALK ABOUT THESE MIDTERMS LIKE THEY'RE AVERAGE MIDTERMS, LIKE
02:03:15EVERYTHING IS BUSINESS AS NORMAL.
02:03:18AND THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE. WE'VE NEVER SEEN FOOD INSECURITY
02:03:22AND FOOD SAFETY AT AN ALL-TIME LOW, LIKE WE HAVE NOW, WITH SO
02:03:24MANY RECALLS AND PEOPLE GETTING ILL. ALSO, THE OTHER THING I DIDN'T
02:03:28HEAR YOUR GUEST SAY IS ON VOTING
02:03:32AND MAIL-IN VOTING, AND YOU
02:03:36ASKED WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S BEEN FRAUD PERPETRATED IN OUR VOTING SYSTEMS.
02:03:39THE ANSWER SO THAT QUESTION IS NO.
02:03:42THERE WAS 60 COURTS THAT LOOKED AT THIS AND FOUND NOTHING.
02:03:46WE HAVE A VERY SOLID VOTING POLICY AND VOTING PROCESS WHERE
02:03:50WE ARE VERIFYING THE VOTE AND
02:03:53THE PERSON IN MULTIPLE STEPS.
02:03:55THE ONLY REASON REPUBLICANS HAVE LATCHED ON TO THIS IS BECAUSE
02:03:59THEY'RE GOOD AT PERPETRATING
02:04:02FEAR, HATE AND JUST BEING SCARED OUT OF THEIR MINDS THAT
02:04:05EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE A SOCIALIST. I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO LOOK AT
02:04:09THIS ELECTION AND LOOK AT THEIR
02:04:12OWN BEST INTERESTS, SEE THE MESS THAN BETS CREATED IN THE PAST
02:04:16TWO YEARS, AND VOTE FOR THEMSELVES INSTEAD OF AGAINST THEMSELVES.
02:04:19LAST THING I WANT TO SAY, THE
02:04:22ONLY TIME WE HAVE REDUCED THE
02:04:26DEBT IN THE UNITED STATES IS UNDER CLINTON, WE BALANCED THE BUDGET AND HAD A SURPLUS.
02:04:30UNDER OBAMA, WE CUT THE DEBT IN
02:04:34HALF. UNDER BIDEN WE DROPPED IT BY HALF.
02:04:37SINCE THE 1980'S, ALL REPUBLICANS HAVE ADDED TO THE
02:04:40DEBT, NOT DECREASED IT FROM THE
02:04:44DEBT. SO IF WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THIS $40 TRILLION, THE PARTY TO
02:04:48DO IT IS DEMOCRATS. HOST: GOT YOUR POINT.
02:04:52MASON, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT CUTTING THE DEBT IN HALF. THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED.
02:04:55MAYBE SHE'S TALKING DEFICITS.
02:04:57GUEST: BUT I MEAN, UNDER MUCH OF
02:04:59THE OVERWHELM, THEY WERE RUNNING
02:05:02TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF
02:05:06DEFICITS. SOME HAD TO DO WITH THE RECESSION, AND THEN THE DEFICITS
02:05:09INCREASED AGAIN TO HUGE LEVELS
02:05:12DURING COVID. THEY'VE NEVER REALLY COME DOWN.
02:05:16NOW, IT'S CERTAINLY A VALID CRITICISM OF REPUBLICANS THAT
02:05:19THEY HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, UNDER REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATIONS, DEBT
02:05:22HAS CERTAINLY GONE UP.
02:05:25IN 1992, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD ROSS
02:05:28PEROT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT ON
02:05:30AN ANTI-DEFICIT, ANTI-DEBT
02:05:34PLATFORM, AND AT THAT TIME THE
02:05:36NATIONAL DEBT WAS $4 TRILLION.
02:05:39THE BUDGET DEFICIT IN 1992 WAS
02:05:44$290 BILLION, WHICH THESE WERE RECORDS AT THAT TIME.
02:05:47THESE WOULD BE VERY SMALL
02:05:48NUMBERS NOW.
02:05:53WHEN BILL CLINTON BALANCED THE BUDGET, WE HAD SURPLUSES, THE
02:05:56FIRST TIME WE REALLY HAD SINCE
02:05:581969, SO WE'VE HAD CHRONIC
02:06:00DEFICIT SPENDING FOR QUITE A WHILE.
02:06:04EVEN BY THAT POINT. YOU KNOW, IT WAS IN CONJUNCTION
02:06:07WITH THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED
02:06:11CONGRESS. CONGRESS DOES DETERMINE SPENDING
02:06:14LEVELS AND APPROPRIATIONS AND
02:06:18REVENUES. THAT ALL HAS TO START IN THE HOUSE, AND IT'S PRIMARILY ACTS
02:06:22OF CONGRESS, AND CERTAINLY
02:06:23CLINTON WAS A RELATIVELY CENTRIST DEMOCRAT.
02:06:27I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WING OF THE PARTY IS CONTROLLING THE
02:06:30DEMOCRATIC PARTY AT THIS POINT.
02:06:32BUT YOU KNOW, TO THE CALLER'S
02:06:35POINT ABOUT WHETHER THIS IS A NORMAL MIDTERM ELECTION OR NOT,
02:06:38THERE ARE ASPECTS OF THIS THAT
02:06:42ARE CERTAINLY ANY PARTY IN POWER
02:06:46TENDS TO HAVE DIFFICULTY IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS.
02:06:50IN THE LAST ALMOST 90 YEARS,
02:06:52ONLY TWO REAL EXCEPTIONS TO THAT
02:06:54WERE 1998, WHERE WE WERE IN THE
02:06:57MIDST OF AN UNPOPULAR CLINTON
02:07:00IMPEACHMENT, AND 2002 WHEN WE WERE IN THE AFTERMATH OF 9/11.
02:07:04BUT IN THOSE CASES, THE PARTY IN
02:07:07POWER DID WELL IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS, BUT OVERALL THE PARTY
02:07:10IN POWER HAS LOST SEATS. BUT YES, THERE ARE THINGS THAT
02:07:12ARE SPECIFIC TO WHAT IS GOING ON
02:07:15RIGHT NOW WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
02:07:16LOW JOB APPROVAL RATINGS, WITH
02:07:21THE GENERAL SENSE THAT 2024 WAS
02:07:24AN ELECTION OVER THE ECONOMY, OVER AFFORDABILITY, OVER
02:07:28INFLATION. AND THEN WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON
02:07:31OTHER THINGS. WE'RE AT WAR IN IRAN, WHICH A
02:07:34LOT OF PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR TRUMP THOUGHT WE WERE NOT GOING
02:07:37TO DO.
02:07:40WARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, SO, YOU
02:07:42KNOW, THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THE CONDITIONS RIGHT
02:07:46NOW IN PEOPLE'S ASSESSMENT OF
02:07:49HOW THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THIS CONGRESS HAVE PERFORMED THAT
02:07:52CERTAINLY PUT REPUBLICANS IN A
02:07:53MUCH TOUGHER POSITION.
02:07:56BUT CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, BEING THE PARTY IN POWER DURING A
02:08:00MIDTERM ELECTION IS GENERALLY NOT A SUPER FAVORABLE POSITION
02:08:04TO BE IN. HOST: LAST TWO MINUTES OR SO HERE, BUT I DID WANT TO TOUCH ON
02:08:08AN INTERESTING STORY YOU WROTE
02:08:10ABOUT FAKE POLLING IN THE MIDTERM ELECTION AND THE STORY
02:08:14OF MEDIAN STRATEGY, I THINK WAS THE NAME OF THE FAKE POLLING
02:08:17COMPANY. CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN WHAT WE
02:08:19FOUND OUT AND WHAT THAT COULD
02:08:22MEAN AS WE TRY TO GET A SENSE OF WHO'S UP AND WHO'S DOWN GOING
02:08:26INTO ELECTION DAY? GUEST: SO LEGITIMATE POLLSTERS
02:08:29HAVE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS IN RECENT YEARS, BECAUSE IT'S
02:08:32GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO GET
02:08:34PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO POLLS.
02:08:37SO IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO GET REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLES TO
02:08:40RESPOND TO YOUR POLLING, IT
02:08:43MAKES IT REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET
02:08:45AN ACCURATE SNAPSHOT OF THE
02:08:49ELECTORATE.
02:08:52WE'VE SEEN SOME TIMES WHEN THE POLLS WERE OFF BY A SIGNIFICANT MARGIN. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS CERTAINLY
02:08:56OUTPERFORMED HIS POLL NUMBERS IN ALL THREE OF HIS PRESIDENTIAL
02:08:59ELECTIONS TO VARYING DEGREES.
02:09:02BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, WE
02:09:05SAW POLLS THAT WERE NOT EVEN REAL, THAT THIS WAS A COMPANY
02:09:08THAT WAS TRYING TO -- THEY SAID THEY WERE DOING A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT.
02:09:12THEY SENT OUT SOME POLLS. THEY PUT OUT SOME NUMBERS.
02:09:15THESE NUMBERS WERE NOT REAL.
02:09:17YOU ALSO HAD ANOTHER COMPANY
02:09:21THAT WAS DOING POLLING -- HOST: BUT THESE NUMBERS GOT INCORPORATED INTO THE AVERAGES
02:09:25OF POLLS, SO THEREFORE -- GUEST: THEY WERE AVERAGES, AND
02:09:28THEY WERE ALSO REPORTED ON IN NEWS STORIES. SO THEY WERE IMPACTING THE
02:09:31NARRATIVE AROUND SORT OF THESE RACES, AND YOU HAD A COMPANY IN
02:09:35FLORIDA THAT DID A FAIRLY DUBIOUS POLL OF THE GOVERNOR'S
02:09:39RACE. ALTHOUGH IN THAT CASE IT WAS PRETTY CLEARLY AN OUTLIER, BUT
02:09:42THEY SAID THAT A MARGINAL CANDIDATE WAS MUCH MORE
02:09:46COMPETITIVE IN THE GOVERNOR'S RACE. AND THEN WHEN THEY WERE ASKED
02:09:49ABOUT THEIR METHODOLOGY, THEY
02:09:51WERE USING SOME PRETTY DUBIOUS METHODS.
02:09:55SO IN A CLIMATE WHERE THE POLLS
02:09:57ARE SORT OF STRUGGLING TO HAVE
02:10:01ACTUAL FAKE POLLS GOING OUT
02:10:04THERE, REALLY FURTHER UNDERMINES CONFIDENCE IN POLLING.
02:10:08SO A LOT OF CAMPAIGNS MAKE AN
02:10:12IMPORTANT STRATEGIC DECISION BASED ON THE POLLING.
02:10:15CERTAINLY A LOT OF VOTERS, THEIR SENSE OF WHO'S UP AND WHO'S
02:10:18DOWN, THE GENERAL HORSE RACE IS INFORMED BY THE POLLS.
02:10:21A LOT OF NEWS STORIES ARE
02:10:24INFLUENCED BY THE POLLS.
02:10:27SO IF PEOPLE WANT TO CITE THESE
02:10:31ACTUAL FAKE POLLS AS EVIDENCE OF WHAT POLLING IS IN GENERAL, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS
02:10:35NECESSARILY FAIR, BUT IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE THAT SOME PEOPLE
02:10:37ARE GOING TO DO THAT, IT REALLY
02:10:41UNDERMINES CONFIDENCE IN THE WHOLE ENTERPRISE.
02:10:43HOST: FOR THAT STORY AND MANY
02:10:48MORE, WASHINGTONEXAMINER.COM IS WHERE YOU CAN GO.
02:10:50JIM ANTLE IS EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF
02:10:53THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER MAGAZINE, AND WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. GUEST: THANK YOU.
02:10:57THANKS FOR HAVING ME. HOST: COMING UP IN OUR FINAL 45
02:10:59MINUTES THIS MORNING, WE'LL BE
02:11:01JOINED BY THE ATLANTIC'S TOM NICHOLS.
02:11:04WE'LL DISCUSS THE LATEST ROUND OF SANCTIONS ON IRAN, NATIONAL
02:11:08SECURITY ISSUES, YOUR PHONE CALLS AFTER THE BREAK.
02:11:11STICK AROUND.
02:11:23>> YOU'RE WATCHING C-SPAN,
02:11:24DEMOCRACY UNFILTERED.
02:11:30>> C-SPAN BRINGS YOU DEMOCRACY UNFILTERED IN REAL-TIME.
02:11:34DEMOCRACY DOESN'T TAKE SIDES. NEITHER DOES C-SPAN.
02:11:36IN A WORLD FULL OF OPINIONS, C-SPAN GIVES YOU DIRECT ACCESS
02:11:40TO THE PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS THAT SHAPE OUR NATION,
02:11:44UNFILTERED COVERAGE OF CONGRESS, AS LAWS ARE DEBATED AND DECIDED,
02:11:47LIVE PROCEEDINGS FROM THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT,
02:11:51PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHES, BRIEFINGS AND HISTORIC MOMENTS AS THEY
02:11:54HAPPEN. NO COMMENTARY, NO SPIN, NO
02:11:58AGENDA. JUST THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS
02:12:01PRESENTED IN FULL WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, SO YOU CAN WATCH
02:12:05THE DEBATES, HEAR EVERY WORD, AND MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND.
02:12:09>> C-SPAN'S RESPECTED NONPROFIT SERVICE HAS OFFERED AMERICANS
02:12:13UNFILTERED GAVEL-TO-GAVEL COVERAGE OF THEIR GOVERNMENT IN
02:12:16ACTION. >> C-SPAN BRINGING YOU DEMOCRACY
02:12:18UNFILTERED. C-SPAN IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE
02:12:22CABLE, SATELLITE, AND STREAMING COMPANIES THAT PROVIDE C-SPAN AS
02:12:25A PUBLIC SERVICE.
02:12:29>> IN A CONFIDED MEDIA WORLD, ONE PLACE BRINGS AMERICANS TOGETHER.
02:12:32ACCORDING TO A NEW MAGID RESEARCH REPORT, NEARLY 90
02:12:36MILLION AMERICANS TURN TO C-SPAN, AND THEY'RE ALMOST PERFECTLY BALANCED.
02:12:3928% CONSERVATIVE, 27% LIBERAL OR
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02:12:50MODERATES WATCHING ALL SIDES. BECAUSE C-SPAN VIEWERS WANT THE
02:12:54FACTS, STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE.
02:12:56NO COMMENTARY, NO AGENDA, JUST
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02:13:00ON THE C-SPAN NETWORKS.
02:13:07>> "WASHINGTON JOURNAL" CONTINUES.
02:13:09HOST: OUR GUEST NOW IS TOM
02:13:12NICHOLS, STAFF WRITER FOR THE
02:13:15ATLANTIC, YOU MAY KNOW HIM FROM HIS MANY BOOKS ON NATIONAL
02:13:18SECURITY AND AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT HE WAS A
02:13:22FIVE-TIME "JEOPARDY!" CHAMPION BACK IN THE MID 1990'S, BUT
02:13:24LET'S START AT THE INTERSECTION OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND ECONOMIC POWER.
02:13:28WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF OPERATION
02:13:31ECONOMIC OUTCAST, THE LATEST ROUND OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
02:13:34AGAINST IRAN? GUEST: THERE'S NOT MUCH LEFT TO
02:13:38SANCTION. AND IF YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO
02:13:40REALLY GO AFTER THE RUSSIANS AND
02:13:43THE CHINESE AS THE PRESIDENT
02:13:45SEEMS UNWILLING TO DO, NOT SURE WHAT THIS IS OTHER THAN ANOTHER
02:13:49SET OF ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE
02:13:55PRESIDENT, FROM THE SECRETARY OY
02:13:58THIS IS THE ECONOMIC VERSION OF D-DAY.
02:14:02BUT IT'S NOT.
02:14:05NOW, DEFINITELY SANCTIONS ARE
02:14:07BITING IN IRAN, THEY HURT,
02:14:10PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY. BUT I DON'T THINK THIS
02:14:14PARTICULAR REGIME CARES MUCH ABOUT THAT, ESPECIALLY IF THEY
02:14:18HAVE FRIENDS IN POWERFUL PLACES IN OTHER CAPITALS.
02:14:22AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENTS REALLY DON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME WORRYING TOO MUCH ABOUT THE
02:14:25SUFFERING OF THEIR PEOPLE.
02:14:28BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THIS IS
02:14:30KIND OF A LEAFY SET OF
02:14:34SANCTIONS, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T INCLUDE SOME OF THE BIGGEST PLAYERS.
02:14:37I DON'T THINK THE CHINESE ARE GOING TO ENDANGER THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAN OVER THIS, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.
02:14:41HOST: WHEN YOU SAY THIS IS A LEAKY SET OF SANCTIONS, WHAT
02:14:44WOULD IT MEAN? WHAT WOULD THAT ENTAIL GOING
02:14:47AFTER THE CHINESE AND RUSSIA?
02:14:50WHAT WOULD YOU NEED TO SEE FOR
02:14:51THIS TO BE AN ECONOMIC D-DAY?
02:14:55GUEST: FIRST OF ALL, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE THE COOPERATION OF THOSE GOVERNMENTS.
02:14:59IF WE'RE GOING TO STAY WITH THE
02:15:00D-DAY METAPHOR, THAT WAS AN
02:15:04ALLIED OPERATION, NOT ONE THAT RELUCTANTLY DRAGGED IN SOME
02:15:08PEOPLE, WHILE OTHER PEOPLE SAT IT OUT SOMEWHERE ELSE ON THE
02:15:12BEACH. SO YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE?
02:15:16I SUPPOSE IT WOULD TAKE TREATING CHINA THE WAY WE'RE TREATING
02:15:19CANADA RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR CLOSEST
02:15:22FRIENDS AND ALLIES. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THE
02:15:26ADMINISTRATION HAS THE APPETITE
02:15:27FOR THAT, BECAUSE OF THE
02:15:31ECONOMIC REVERBERATIONS THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THE UNITED
02:15:34STATES.
02:15:36CHINA GETS ENERGY FROM IRAN,
02:15:38IT'S WORKING WITH THEM ON A LOT OF OTHER DIFFERENT LEVELS.
02:15:42I JUST DON'T SEE THE ADMINISTRATION TAKING THAT ON.
02:15:45I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS -- I THINK THEY RAN OUT OF MILITARY
02:15:49OPTIONS, AND SO THEY REPLACED ALL THE MILITARY LANGUAGE THEY
02:15:53WERE USING WITH ECONOMIC TERMS,
02:15:57AND THEY'RE HOPING SOMEHOW THAT PRODUCES AN EFFECT, WHICH IT
02:16:01MIGHT, BUT THAT LOOKS DOUBTFUL RIGHT NOW.
02:16:03HOST: IS IT MORE EFFECT WE HAVE U.S. NAVAL BLOCKADES SITTING OFF
02:16:06OF IRANIAN PORTS?
02:16:07IS THIS SOMETHING THAT JUST
02:16:11TAKES TIME TO SQUEEZE RATHER THAN SOME SORT OF MILITARY
02:16:14STRIKE THAT WOULD BE QUICK AND DECISIVE?
02:16:18GUEST: ONE THING WE KNOW FROM
02:16:20THE HISTORY OF SANCTIONS, WHENEVER THEY'VE BEEN APPLIED,
02:16:23WE KNOW TWO THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, SANCTIONS TEND TO
02:16:26WORK BEST BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES THAT ACTUALLY TRADE WITH EACH
02:16:30OTHER. YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO
02:16:34SANCTION THAT CAN HURT THE OTHER
02:16:38PARTY AND GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO WANT TO NEGOTIATE ABOUT.
02:16:41THE OTHER THING WE KNOW ABOUT SANCTIONS IS THEY TAKE A LONG
02:16:45TIME. AS A COROLLARY TO THAT, THEY
02:16:49TAKE A LONG TIME, AND EVERYBODY
02:16:50HAS TO BE IN ON IT.
02:16:53I'M JUST NOT SURE THAT, JUST LIKE WITH THE WAR ITSELF, I'M
02:16:56NOT SURE THE ADMINISTRATION HAS REALLY THOUGHT THIS OUT IN TERMS
02:16:58OF HOW THIS IS GOING TO WORK.
02:17:02IF WE'RE GOING TO BLOCKADE IRANIAN PORTS, WHAT ARE YOU
02:17:06BLOCKADING? WHICH SHIPS GET IN AND OUT?
02:17:08IF YOU'RE GOING TO FIRE ON
02:17:12SOMEONE, IF THERE'S A RUN OF THE BLOCKADE, WHO ARE YOU SHOOTING
02:17:15AT?
02:17:19AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THEY'VE REALLY THOUGHT THIS OUT. THEY KEEP SAYING THINGS AND KIND
02:17:23OF HOPING IT PRODUCES A
02:17:24STRATEGIC EFFECT, BUT THIS WAS A
02:17:27WAR THAT WAS EXPRESSED TO BE
02:17:30OVER IN A WEEK -- THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OVER IN A WEEK SIX MONTHS AGO.
02:17:33HOST: IN THE PAGES OF TODAY'S
02:17:34"USA TODAY," THERE'S AN OPINION
02:17:39CONTRIBUTOR WHO SAYS WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE MAJOR OUTCOME OF THE IRANIAN WAR.
02:17:43SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE
02:17:45DISRUPTION AND THE DISMANTLING OF THE ARMED PARTNERS TO IRAN,
02:17:48STRETCHING FROM LEBANON TO GAZA
02:17:50TO SYRIA, IRAQ, AND YEMEN, AND
02:17:53THE SO-CALLED AXIS OF RESISTANCE. THAT HE SAYS THAT IRAN IS
02:17:57INCREASINGLY FINDING ITSELF DOING SOMETHING IT SPEND DECADES
02:18:01TRYING TO AVOID, RELYING ON ITS OWN CAPABILITIES TO SUSTAIN THE
02:18:05CONFRONTATION, SAYING THAT DISMANTLING IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE TALKED MORE ABOUT AND
02:18:09CELEBRATED. GUEST: IT'S A POSITIVE EFFECT,
02:18:13BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE
02:18:15PERMANENT UNLESS THERE IS SOME
02:18:17KIND OF CHANGE IN THE REGIME,
02:18:20EITHER A WHOLESALE COLLAPSE OF
02:18:21THE REGIME OR SOME SORT OF
02:18:26CHANGE IN THEIR POSITION. AND IN FACT, THE IRANIAN POSITION SEEMS TO BE HARDENING.
02:18:29YEAH, IT'S GREAT, BUT SOME OF THESE IRANIAN PROXIES ARE UNDER
02:18:33STRESS THAT THEY COULD BE DISARMED.
02:18:36THE OVERALL PICTURE WITH IRAN IS
02:18:39THAT IT'S MILITARILY WEAKER THAN IT WAS WHEN THE WAR STARTED.
02:18:43THE PROBLEM IS IRAN IS IN A STRONGER STRATEGIC POSITION NOW.
02:18:47SO FOCUSING ON WHICH PROXIES
02:18:51HAVE BEEN WEAKENED OR STRIPPED
02:18:54OF CAPABILITY, PERFECTLY REASONABLE THING TO THINK ABOUT, BUT RIGHT NOW, I THINK WHAT
02:18:57AMERICANS ARE PROBABLY THINKING ABOUT IS THAT A DEDICATED ENEMY
02:19:01OF THE UNITED STATES FUNCTIONALLY CONTROLS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, AND A BIG CHUNK OF
02:19:05THE WORLD'S GLOBAL ENERGY SUPPLY, AND BY EXTENSION, A BIG
02:19:09PIECE OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.
02:19:11HOST: LET ME TURN FROM IRAN TO
02:19:14UKRAINE, HEADLINE IN "THE POST" ON EUROPEAN LEADERS MARKING
02:19:18UKRAINE'S 35TH INDEPENDENCE DAY
02:19:22IN KYIV WITH CEREMONIES THERE.
02:19:25WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF THE STATUS OF THAT CONFLICT?
02:19:28THERE'S BEEN SOME REPORTS ABOUT MOVEMENT AND MOMENTUM FOR
02:19:32UKRAINIANS. HOW DO YOU READ WHAT'S GOING ON
02:19:35THERE RIGHT NOW, IN A REGION
02:19:36THAT'S SO HARD TO READ?
02:19:39GUEST: YEAH, I WAS ONE OF THE
02:19:42FOLKS THAT WAS REALLY WORRIED IN
02:19:44THE FIRST MONTH THAT 150,000
02:19:47RUSSIAN TROOPS ATTACKING ON
02:19:51THREE AXIS WAS ADVANCE WERE NOT GOING TO BE BOGGED DOWN VERY
02:19:55LONG IN UKRAINE. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT A RELATIVELY
02:19:59RAPID RUSSIAN VICTORY. I THINK FOUR YEARS LATER, MORE
02:20:02THAN FOUR YEARS LATER, NOT ONLY
02:20:08DID PEOPLE LIKE ME UNDERESTIMATE THE ABILITY OF THE UKRAINIAN
02:20:11MILITARY, BUT REALLY OVERESTIMATED THE RUSSIANS, AND
02:20:13I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE
02:20:15HEADLINES FROM THIS AFTER FOUR
02:20:18YEARS, THAT THE IDEA THIS WOULD
02:20:20GO THE DISTANCE AND THE UKRAINIANS WOULD BE RECAPTURING
02:20:23TERRITORY AND THAT THE RUSSIANS WOULD BE SHUTTING DOWN THEIR
02:20:26BORDERS TO PREVENT THEIR YOUNG
02:20:30MEN FROM FLEEING MISSEEN
02:20:33DISCRIMINATION I THINK IS A VERY
02:20:34IMPORTANT THING TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS TIME IN THE 21ST
02:20:38CENTURY. WITH THAT SAID, THIS IS JUST
02:20:42BRUTAL MUCH I MEAN, THE
02:20:45UKRAINIANS ARE JUST BLEEDING
02:20:47HERE, AND I THINK IT'S A REAL
02:20:50CATASTROPHE THAT THE UNITED STATES, WITH A FRACTION OF THE
02:20:54MILITARY ASSETS THAT WE PUT INTO
02:20:57IRAN, COULD HAVE HELPED THE UKRAINIANS DEFEAT THE RUSSIANS
02:21:01IN THIS LATEST WAR. I MEAN, THIS WAR HAS BEEN
02:21:04ONGOING, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE
02:21:06SEIZURE OF CRIMEA, IT'S BEEN ONGOING FOR OVER A DECADE, AND
02:21:10WE COULD HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE. THE EUROPEANS, I THINK, HAVE STEPPED UP.
02:21:14THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY CAN AND WILL PROBABLY DO MORE.
02:21:18BUT TO THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH OF
02:21:21THE RUSSIAN ARMY HAS BEEN
02:21:23DESTROYED WITH SIMPLY A REALLY SMALL INVESTMENT FROM THE UNITED
02:21:27STATES IS A PRETTY STUNNING REALIZATION, BUT I THINK TODAY,
02:21:31FOUR YEARS LATER, ON UKRAINIAN
02:21:36INDEPENDENCE DAY WE HAVE TO LOOK BACK AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE COULD
02:21:38HAVE DONE A LOT MORE TO HELP
02:21:42THEM WITH JUST A FRACTION OF THE
02:21:44FORCES THAT WE'VE BEEN WASTING IN THIS KIND OF TREADMILL WE'RE
02:21:48ON WITH THE IRANIANS. HOST: WAS THERE A MOMENT, A
02:21:51MISSED MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES WHERE YOU THINK THE
02:21:54BALANCE COULD HAVE BEEN TIPPED IN THIS WAR, COULD HAVE ENDED IN
02:21:58UKRAINE'S FAVOR? IF SO, WHEN WAS THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST FOUR YEARS?
02:22:02GUEST: YEAH, THAT'S, I THINK
02:22:06THAT'S TOO EASY A GAME TO PLAY WHERE I OR ANY OTHER ANALYST
02:22:10COULD SIT BACK AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, IN 2022, ON 3:00 ON
02:22:14FEBRUARY 19 OR SOMETHING, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR
02:22:17TO UKRAINIANS. AND I THINK IT'S EASY TO DO THAT
02:22:21WITH HINDSIGHT. I THINK WAR IS A CONTINGENT BUSINESS.
02:22:24THERE'S A LOT OF ELEMENT OF
02:22:27CHANCE AND FORTUNE IN IT, AND I
02:22:29THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT FEWER
02:22:31DEAD UKRAINIAN CIVILIANS HAD WE
02:22:35STEPPED UP, EVEN IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, AND CERTAINLY IF
02:22:39WE HAD NOT PULLED BACK IN THE SECOND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
02:22:43A MOMENT WHERE IT COULD HAVE
02:22:44TURNED TO VICTORY, I DON'T KNOW.
02:22:48BUT IT'S NOT OVER YET, AND THERE'S STILL TIME TO DO
02:22:50SOMETHING, BUT AGAIN, THIS ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T SEEM VERY INTERESTED IN DOING THAT.
02:22:54HOST: ON BOTH THE CONFLICTS, A COLUMN YOU WROTE FROM EARLIER
02:22:58THIS SUMMER IN THE ATLANTIC, RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES ARE
02:23:02REDISCOVERING THE LIMITS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
02:23:05WHAT ARE THE LIMITS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS? GUEST: I THINK IT'S SOMETHING
02:23:08PEOPLE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
02:23:11HERE ARE THESE TWO NUCLEAR ARMED
02:23:14GIANTS BEING FUNCTIONALLY DEFEATED, OR IN RUSSIA'S CASE,
02:23:17HELD AT BAY AND PAYING A
02:23:20TERRIBLE PRICE BY NONNUCLEAR
02:23:22ARMED, MUCH SMALLER POWERS.
02:23:26NUCLEAR WEAPONS JUST AREN'T THAT USEFUL WHEN IT COMES TO A
02:23:29CONFLICT LIKE THIS.
02:23:33AND I THINK THIS ADMINISTRATION IN PARTICULAR REALLY WANTS TO
02:23:36FIND NEW USES FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS. TONIGHT PUT THEM BACK ON SURFACE
02:23:40NAVY SHIPS, SOMETHING THAT
02:23:42GEORGE H.W. BUSH STOPPED MORE
02:23:46THAN 35 YEARS AGO.
02:23:49AND THE PRESIDENT SEEMS TO HAVE KIND OF A FASCINATION WITH WHAT
02:23:52NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAN DO. BUT I THINK BOTH OF THESE WARS PROVED TO YOU THAT NUCLEAR
02:23:56WEAPONS DO ONE THING. THEY PREVENT OTHER PEOPLE WITH
02:23:59NUCLEAR WEAPONS FROM ATTACKING YOU.
02:24:01THEY PROVIDE NUCLEAR DETERRENTS AGAINST NUCLEAR ATTACK.
02:24:05THEY DON'T HELP YOU WIN WARS.
02:24:08YOU KNOW, THE UNITED STATES IS THE MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE
02:24:12WORLD, AND WE HAVE LOST THE WAR,
02:24:14AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE WAR
02:24:17AGAINST IRAN GOES RIGHT INTO THE LOSS COLUMN AT THIS POINT.
02:24:20WE'VE LOST THE WAR AGAINST A THIRD-RATE POWER AT BEST.
02:24:24THE UKRAINIANS HAVE HELD OFF A
02:24:27COUNTRY THREE TIMES THEIR SIZE
02:24:30WITHOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS. SO I THINK AMERICANS AND PEOPLE
02:24:33IN GENERAL WHO THINK NUCLEAR
02:24:35WEAPONS ARE MAGIC OR HAVING THEM
02:24:38KIND OF GIVES YOU MORE POWER OR
02:24:41LEVERAGE, THEY REALLY DON'T. AND WE PROBABLY DON'T NEED AS
02:24:45MUCH OF THEM AS WE HAVE, AND WE OUGHT TO RETHINK WHAT THEY DO
02:24:49FOR AMERICAN NATIONAL SECURITY, BECAUSE WE JUST LEARNED A REALLY
02:24:53HARD LESSON BY LOSING IN IRAN.
02:24:54HOST: WHAT DO NUCLEAR WEAPONS DO
02:24:58FOR NORTH KOREAN SECURITY? WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT A
02:25:02NUCLEAR ARMED NORTH KOREA IN 2026?
02:25:04GUEST: WELL, THE NORTH KOREANS
02:25:07TOOK A GAMBLE THAT IF THEY COULD
02:25:09DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS FAST ENOUGH THAT IT WOULD ENSURE THE
02:25:13REGIME'S SURVIVAL. NOW, THEY BELIEVE THAT, BUT
02:25:17THEY'VE ALSO, THEY DON'T REALIZE THEY'VE PICKED UP A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.
02:25:21YES, IT MAKES PEOPLE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT ATTACKING
02:25:24THEM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NUCLEAR
02:25:27WEAPONS AND THEY CAN CREATE HELL ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA.
02:25:31IT'S ALSO, HOWEVER, MADE THEM
02:25:33THE FOCUS OF A MAJOR NUCLEAR
02:25:36POWER IN A WAY THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE HAD WITHOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
02:25:40AND THIS IS ONE OF THE LESSONS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
02:25:43HAVING THEM MAKES YOU A NUCLEAR TARGET.
02:25:47YOU MIGHT FEEL SECURE IN HAVING
02:25:49THEM, TO SAY WE HAVE NOW ESTABLISHED NUCLEAR DETERRENTS WITH THE UNITED STATES.
02:25:53BUT YOU'RE ALSO NOW A NUCLEAR TARGET.
02:25:57BEFORE NORTH KOREA HAD NUCLEAR WEAPONS, SUCCESS OF AMERICAN
02:26:01ADMINISTRATIONS THOUGHT ABOUT VARIOUS SCENARIOS FOR TOPPLING
02:26:05THE NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT. RICHARD NIXON EVEN ASKED FOR A
02:26:09NUCLEAR SCENARIO, A CASE FOR USING NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGAINST
02:26:13NORTH KOREA IN 1969. AND NO ONE EVER WENT FORWARD
02:26:16WITH IT BECAUSE OF THE GEOGRAPHY
02:26:18OF NORTH KOREA, BECAUSE OF THE
02:26:22PROXIMITY OF SEOUL TO THE FRONT LINE OF BATTLE, BECAUSE OF THE
02:26:25AMOUNT OF CASUALTIES THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN A SECOND KOREAN
02:26:29WAR. SO THE KOREANS HAVE LEARNED
02:26:31THAT, YES, THEY MAVEN SURED SOME
02:26:36KIND OF PERFECTION AGT
02:26:41ATTACK, BUT THEY'VE ALSO GOT A TIGER BY THE TAIL. THEY'RE A NUCLEAR POWER, AND
02:26:44THEY'RE IN THE NUCLEAR POWER
02:26:46GAME, AND THAT'S A PRETTY SCARY
02:26:49PLACE TO BE.
02:26:51HOST: TOM NICHOLS, A FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS
02:26:55PROFESSOR AT THE U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, AND WITH US FOR ABOUT
02:26:59THE NEXT HALF-HOUR, TILL THE END OF OUR PROGRAM, 10:00 A.M. EASTERN.
02:27:02HERE'S HOW YOU CALL IN.
02:27:05REPUBLICANS, 202-748-8001.
02:27:07DEMOCRATS, 202-748-8000.
02:27:09INDEPENDENTS, 202-748-8002.
02:27:13VIA TEXT MESSAGE, THIS IS MIKE
02:27:15IN NEW JERSEY ASKING YOU, MR. NICHOLS, DO YOU THINK
02:27:19STOPPING THE EXPERIENCED IRANIAN SHADOWY TRADE AND THEIR ABILITY
02:27:23TO AVOID SANCTIONEDS, CAN THAT BE CONFIDENTLY AND COMPLETELY STOPPED?
02:27:27AND HOW COULD WE EVER REALLY KNOW?
02:27:30GUEST: THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, ESPECIALLY THE LAST PART ABOUT HOW CAN WE KNOW?
02:27:34I THINK AS LONG AS THE RUSSIANS
02:27:36AND THE CHINESE AREN'T ON BOARD,
02:27:38YOU CAN'T FULLY KNOW, ESPECIALLY
02:27:41IN AN ADMINISTRATION THAT HAS
02:27:43REALLY GUTTED A LOT OF ITS
02:27:46INTELLIGENCE CAPACITY. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REALLY
02:27:50SERIOUS, THERE'S BEEN REALLY
02:27:51SERIOUS DAMAGE DONE TO THE
02:27:54C.I.A., THE OFFICE OF DIRECTOR
02:27:57OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, BUT I'LL JUST GO BACK, MIKE, TO THIS
02:28:00PROBLEM THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE
02:28:02TWO MAJOR POWERS ON BOARD, BOTH
02:28:04OF WHOM SEE THE UNITED STATES AG
02:28:08US AS A PEER COMPETITOR, AND
02:28:10RUSSIA SEEING US AS AN ENEMY,
02:28:12IT'S A PRETTY TOUGH THING TO PUT TOGETHER A SANCTIONS REGIME THAT
02:28:16YOU CAN CLAIM IS THE GREATEST SANCTIONS REGIME IN HISTORY.
02:28:20GO BACK TO IRAQ, A MUCH SMALLER
02:28:24COUNTRY WITH A MUCH BIGGER
02:28:27COALITION DEDICATED TO PUTTING
02:28:29SANCTIONS ON IT, AND EVEN THOSE
02:28:31SANCTIONS WERE STARTING TO LEAK BACK IN THE DAY.
02:28:35SO IF OTHER COUNTRIES DON'T WANT
02:28:38TO DO IT, MAJOR COUNTRIES DON'T WANT TO DO IT, THEN I DON'T
02:28:41THINK WE CAN, AND I DON'T THINK
02:28:43WE'LL KNOW TO GO BACK TO THE
02:28:48INCISIVE POINT, LAST POINT OF YOUR QUESTION.
02:28:51HOST: DAVID FROM MARYLAND WANTS TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE
02:28:54PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS ABOUT KIM JONG UN, ACTUALLY HAVE THOSE
02:28:58COMMENTS ABOUT THE NORTH KOREAN LEADER. THIS IS ABOUT 45 SECONDS, THE
02:29:02PRESIDENT FROM LAST WEEK.
02:29:05>> ARE YOU EXCHANGING WRITTEN LETTERS WITH KIM JONG UN?
02:29:09PRES. TRUMP: YES, DIE THAT. BUT I GET ALONG WITH HIM. AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
02:29:12THE FACT THAT I GET ALONG WITH HIM, THAT'S A GOOD THING, NOT A BAD THING.
02:29:16HE HAS 57 VERY POWERFUL NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
02:29:20SHOULD HAVE NEVER ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN. THEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER ALLOWED IT.
02:29:23IF I WERE PRESIDENT, I WOULDN'T HAVE ALLOWED IT. BUT HE'S GOT THEM.
02:29:26I GET ALONG WITH HIM VERY WELL. CAN'T LET IRAN HAVE A NUCLEAR
02:29:30WEAPON. AND I KNOW KIM JONG UN VERY WELL, AND HE'S GOING TO BE FINE.
02:29:34AS LONG AS WE HAVE A SMART PRESIDENT, HE'S GOING TO BE FINE.
02:29:38IF WE HAVE A DUMB PRESIDENT, THEN HE'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE SO FINE.
02:29:42>> ARE YOU EXPECTING TO MEET WITH HIM LATER? PRES. TRUMP: YEAH, I WILL BE.
02:29:46HOST: TOM NICHOLS, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE COMMENTS FROM THE PRESIDENT LAST WEEK.
02:29:49GUEST: WELL, I WROTE A PIECE ABOUT THIS, WHERE I SAID THE PRESIDENT BASICALLY JUST TOLD
02:29:53THE IRANIANS, IF YOU WANT ME TO RESPECT YOU, TREAT YOU WELL, GET
02:29:56NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
02:29:58I
02:30:02THE WORST MESSAGE A PRESIDENT
02:30:06COULD SEND.
02:30:09I LIKE HIM, HE HAS 57 NUCLEAR
02:30:13WEAPONS, HE'S GOING TO BE FINE.
02:30:17THAT IS OPPOSITE TO THE MESSAGE
02:30:22WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SEND SINCE THE NUCLEAR AGE.
02:30:25HOST: BY THE WAY, DID WE KNOW HE
02:30:28HAD 57 NUCLEAR WEAPONS?
02:30:30GUEST: IT IS SUCH A WEIRD NUMBER
02:30:34.
02:30:38THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY USED
02:30:39TO ESTIMATE A RANGE AND THEY DO
02:30:44THAT BY REVERSE ENGINEERING.
02:30:47THEY FOLLOW THE SUPPLY CHAINS.
02:30:50IS IT POSSIBLE SOME DEFECT OR OR
02:30:54SOME SOURCE CAME TO US AND SAID
02:30:56I HAVE COUNTED THEM AND THERE ARE 57 HYDROGEN BOMBS? MAYBE.
02:31:05I THINK AS ONE ARMS-CONTROL
02:31:07ANALYST PUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA,
02:31:09A VERY SMART ANALYST, THE
02:31:13PRESIDENT WAS TRYING TO TELL US SOMETHING CLASSIFIED BUT FOR THE LIFE OF ME I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT
02:31:17IS.
02:31:20HE MUST HAVE HEARD SOMETHING LIKE THAT NUMBER IN A BRIEFING
02:31:23AND IT TUMBLED OUT OF HIM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER MEANS.
02:31:29IT'S PROBABLY IN THE BALLPARK IF YOU COMPARE THAT TO OPEN SOURCE
02:31:33ESTIMATES BUT WHO KNOWS BUT THE
02:31:36OVERALL MESSAGE WAS REALLY A BAD
02:31:41MESSAGE AND NOT A GREAT THING FOR PRESIDENT TO SAY.
02:31:44HOST: YOUR PHONE CALLS, THIS IS
02:31:49FLOYD IN IOWA. REPUBLICAN.
02:31:50CALLER: I WILL TELL YOU WHERE HE
02:31:54GOT THAT 57 NUMBER.
02:31:57THAT CAME RIGHT OUT OF THE MOVIE "THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE."
02:32:0457 COMMUNISTS, THAT IS WHERE HE GOT THAT NUMBER. [LAUGHTER]
02:32:10THEY'VE GOT A SECTION WE NEED TO
02:32:11GET TAKEN OUT OF THEIR, THE DEFENSE TECHNOLOGIES COOPERATION INITIATIVE.
02:32:17WE SHOULD NOT SHARE OUR INFORMATION WITH ANYBODY.
02:32:23THAT'S BAD NEWS TO HAVE ANY NATION, ON TO DEVELOP THESE
02:32:28SYSTEMS, LET ALONE TO HAVE
02:32:31ACCESS TO OUR INFORMATION.
02:32:36IT WAS LINDSEY GRAHAM PUSHING THIS. THEY WANTED ISRAEL.
02:32:41ISRAEL HAS A HISTORY OF SPYING ONE OF THE UNITED STATES AND
02:32:45SELLING THAT INFORMATION TO THE RUSSIANS. I WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.
02:32:48HOST: TOM.
02:32:50GUEST: FLOYD, I HAVE TO BE
02:32:54HONEST WITH YOU I USED TO WORK WITH SENATOR JOHN HEINZ AND WHEN
02:32:58HE POPPED UP THAT 57 NUMBER, MY
02:33:00MIND WENT TO THE SAME PLACE, ALL
02:33:04I COULD SEE WAS A BOTTLE OF HEINZ 57 AND I THOUGHT MAYBE IT
02:33:08WAS THE STEAK SAUCE THING.
02:33:12I WAS RIGHT THERE WITH YOU. LET ME TAKE THE LAST PART ABOUT SPYING.
02:33:18YOU ARE RIGHT BUT THE WORLD HAS
02:33:20A HISTORY OF EVERYBODY SPYING ON EVERYBODY.
02:33:25OUR ALLIES ALL SPY ON EACH OTHER.
02:33:29THAT'S A MIXED BAG, IT'S A PROBLEM.
02:33:34TO TRY TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF
02:33:36TEXTURE TO THE NOTION OF SHARING
02:33:39DEFENSE SECRETS, ONE THING THAT
02:33:45LETS YOU DO AND I'M NOT SPEAKING IN FAVOR OR AGAINST THAT PART OF
02:33:48THE NDAA, BUT I WORKED ON THESE
02:33:53THINGS IN THE YEAR I SPENT IN THE SENATE.
02:33:56ONE THING IT LETS YOU DO IS HAVE
02:33:58SOME CONTROL OVER WHAT YOUR
02:34:02FRIENDS ARE DOING WITH THOSE TECHNOLOGIES.
02:34:07BACK IN THE 1950'S AND THIS IS
02:34:11SOMETHING SOME PEOPLE DON'T
02:34:12REMEMBER IS WE HAD AN EMBARGO ON
02:34:16NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY AGAINST GREAT
02:34:18BRITAIN, OUR CLOSEST FRIEND, OUR
02:34:20ALLY FROM WORLD WAR II, BECAUSE
02:34:24WE DIDN'T WANT THIS TYPE OF WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY PROLIFERATING
02:34:27AROUND THE WORLD AND TURNING
02:34:29NUCLEAR DETERRENCE WITH THE SOVIET UNION INTO A MULTIPLAYER GAME.
02:34:33WE CAME TO REALIZE THE BRITISH
02:34:36ARE PRETTY SMART PEOPLE, BETTER
02:34:40TO HAVE THEIR PROGRAM MASH WITH
02:34:42HOURS THAN TO HAVE THE BRITISH
02:34:46AND THE FRENCH AND EVENTUALLY
02:34:47THE INDIANS AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
02:34:53I TOTALLY TAKE YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT TAKING AMERICAN DEFENSE
02:34:58TECHNOLOGY AND SHARING IT WITH PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT ALWAYS SHARE
02:35:02OUR INTERESTS BUT I WILL JUST
02:35:03PUT THAT OUT THERE AND SAY GOING
02:35:07ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE END OF WORLD WAR II, SHARING DEFENSE
02:35:11TECHNOLOGY IS SOME WAY OF
02:35:14GETTING CONTROL OVER WHAT PEOPLE
02:35:16DO WITH THOSE TECHNOLOGIES AND
02:35:18IT GIVES YOU A PEEK INTO THAT SO
02:35:23IT IS NOT AS ONE-SIDED AS YOU MAY THINK.
02:35:28HOST: PLAN FOR DEMOCRATS, YOU
02:35:32ARE ON WITH TOM NICHOLS. CALLER: GOOD MORNING, PLEASURE TO TALK TO YOU.
02:35:38I WONDER IF YOU THINK THE TRUMP
02:35:46ADMINISTRATION LOST THE
02:35:49ADVANTAGE FROM THE MIDDLE
02:35:54EASTERN POINT OF VIEW AS TO NOT LOOKING AT KOREA.
02:35:58I THINK THEY TOOK ON THE MIDDLE
02:36:00EAST AS A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
02:36:12AND I THINK STRATEGICALLY HE TOOK HIS EYES OFF THE PRIZE.
02:36:17WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT?
02:36:18GUEST: THANKS, I THINK THIS
02:36:22ADMINISTRATION HAS A FOCUS PROBLEM JUST AS IT DID IN THE
02:36:26FIRST TERM BUT IT IS EVEN WORSE
02:36:28NOW BECAUSE POLICY IN THIS TERM
02:36:32IS WHATEVER THE PRESIDENT HAPPENS TO BE LOOKING AT AT ANY
02:36:35GIVEN MOMENT.
02:36:39THERE IS A REASON WE HAVE A NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, THEY ARE THE PEOPLE KEEPING THE
02:36:42MULTIPLE THREADS OF FOREIGN AND
02:36:45SECURITY POLICY TO USE OLD
02:36:49GHOSTBUSTERS TERM, TO KEEP US
02:36:52FROM CROSSING THE STREAMS AND
02:36:54MAKE SURE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THREADS OF POLICY ARE PROCEEDING
02:36:58TOGETHER IN COORDINATION AND WE
02:37:00DON'T HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW.
02:37:04IN THEORY OF MARCO RUBIO IS THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR BUT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
02:37:08BASICALLY DOESN'T EXIST RIGHT NOW IN ANY FUNCTIONAL WAY.
02:37:14I THINK THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN ITS EYES OFF THE BALL AND
02:37:18A LOT OF PLACES IN PARTICULAR WITH NORTH KOREA.
02:37:21THE PRESIDENT HAS BECOME VERY PERSONALLY INVESTED AS HE ALWAYS
02:37:25DOES IN THE NOTION THAT HE IS
02:37:28FRIENDS WITH THIS GUY, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.
02:37:31IT IS THE SAME THING HE SAYS
02:37:33ABOUT XI IN CHINA AND PUTIN IN
02:37:40RUSSIA, WE ARE FRIENDS, WE EXCHANGE LOVE LETTERS.
02:37:43THAT IS NOT A WAY TO MAKE POLICY.
02:37:47RATHER THAN THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT NORTH KOREA HAS
02:37:49SEVERAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS, 57 OR
02:37:5260 OR 50, HE DECIDED TO EMBARK
02:37:56ON A WAR OF CHOICE IN IRAN.
02:37:59THERE WAS NO FORCING FUNCTION IN IRAN.
02:38:03THE PRESIDENT AND 1.72 WEEKS THEY WILL HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
02:38:07I DON'T EVEN THINK THE ISRAELIS BELIEVE THAT.
02:38:12I DON'T THINK NETANYAHU EVEN BELIEVED THAT.
02:38:16THE PRESIDENT WAS ON A RUN, HE WAS ON A ROLL.
02:38:19HE HAD GOT THE LEADER IN
02:38:23VENEZUELA, HE WAS SURFING THAT
02:38:25SUCCESS AND DECIDED TO KEEP GOING WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN
02:38:28PAYING MORE WHAT IS GOING ON IN
02:38:36NORTH KOREA WITH THE NUCLEAR ARSENAL. BUT THAT IS UNFORTUNATELY WATER
02:38:40UNDER THE BRIDGE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
02:38:44HOST: GHOSTBUSTERS TERMS ARE
02:38:49ALWAYS APPRECIATED. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO GO WITH THE 600 POUND TWINKIE. [LAUGHTER]
02:38:54LET'S GO BACK TO IRAN IN TERMS OF WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS FOCUSED
02:38:56ON TODAY, THIS TRUTH SOCIAL POST
02:39:01FROM THE PRESIDENT AFTER 7:00 A.M. THIS MORNING BRINGING THE
02:39:05FOCUS BACK TO IRAN A DAY AFTER THE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
02:39:09ANNOUNCEMENT THE FAILING ISLAMIC
02:39:12REPUBLIC OF IRAN IS NOT PAYING LARGE SEGMENTS OF THEIR MILITARY
02:39:16WELL AT THE SAME TIME KILLING PROTESTERS EVEN WHEN THEY ARE
02:39:20NOT PROTESTING AT LEVELS NOT SEEN BEFORE.
02:39:23THE PRESIDENT SAYING IT IS A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS OF EPIC
02:39:27PROPORTIONS AND MUST BE STOPPED NOW, SIGNING IT PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.
02:39:33HOW DO YOU INTERPRET THAT?
02:39:34GUEST: UNFORTUNATELY WHEN YOU
02:39:38SEE ONE OF THESE MESSAGES ON
02:39:38TRUTH SOCIAL, THE FIRST THING
02:39:42YOU THINK IS WELL, THE PRESIDENT SAYS A LOT OF THINGS.
02:39:46THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
02:39:50I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
02:39:59THE IRGC IS TIGHTENING ITS GRIP.
02:40:06WHICH OF COURSE THEY WERE GOING TO DO.
02:40:11THEY ARE TRYING TO START THE
02:40:15REGIME, KILL OUR CIVILIANS, THIS IS AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO THE REPUBLIC.
02:40:21NOW YOU KNOW WHY WE WERE
02:40:25SHOOTING ALL THESE PROTESTERS. THIS IS A HORRIBLE REGIME THAT DOES GHASTLY THINGS TO ITS
02:40:29PEOPLE.
02:40:31IT HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR A HUGE AMOUNT OF DEATH AND
02:40:35DESTRUCTION AROUND THE WORLD AND NOW THEY ARE CLAIMING TO BE
02:40:37VINDICATED AND THEY'RE GOING TO ACT LIKE IT AND I DON'T THINK THERE IS MUCH WE CAN DO.
02:40:42THE PROBLEM WAS ALWAYS WE WERE
02:40:46NEVER GOING TO PUT TROOPS AND
02:40:51PEOPLE THOUGHT VIETNAM OR IRAQ,
02:40:55THIS IS A BIG COUNTRY OF 93
02:40:55MILLION PEOPLE, SO OTHER THAN
02:41:01NAVAL ACTION AND AIR CAMPAIGNS,
02:41:03WE CAN'T REALLY STOP THEM.
02:41:05THE PRESIDENT'S RIGHT, IT IS A
02:41:07HUMANITARIAN DISASTER, BUT WE
02:41:11HAVE HELPED BRING THAT ABOUT AND NOW THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
02:41:20I JUST DON'T THINK THEY THOUGHT THIS THROUGH.
02:41:24I DON'T THINK THEY PLANNED A MILITARY PLAN FOR OPERATIONS.
02:41:30I DON'T THINK THE CIVILIANS AT
02:41:31THE TOP OF POLICY WERE PLANNED.
02:41:36THE PRESIDENT WAS SO CERTAIN THE REGIME WAS GOING TO FALL.
02:41:41THE PRESIDENT MADE THE SAME
02:41:42MISTAKE ABOUT UKRAINE --
02:41:47PRESIDENT TRUMP MADE THE SAME
02:41:48MISTAKE THAT PUTIN MADE IN
02:41:53UKRAINE. THAT A QUICK, LIGHTNING FAST
02:41:56BLOW WOULD BRING DOWN THESE REGIMES.
02:41:59WHEN THE IRANIAN REGIME DID NOT COLLAPSE AND THE UKRAINIAN REGIME DID NOT COLLAPSE, NEITHER
02:42:03HAD A PLAN B OTHER THAN CONTINUE
02:42:07TO DO IT WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
02:42:08HOST: THIS IS MARK IN
02:42:14SUMMERVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.
02:42:18INDEPENDENT LINE. THANKS FOR WAITING. CALLER: THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
02:42:25IT PREVENTS WARS, THAT IS TRUE. THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.
02:42:31WITH IRAN BEING A TERRORIST
02:42:33NATION, THEY DON'T BELIEVE IN
02:42:39DIPLOMACY OR NEGOTIATIONS, THEY LIE.
02:42:42IT IS NOT GOING TO WORK STILL.
02:42:45HOST: DO YOU THINK THE END GOAL
02:42:49OF THIS CONFLICT SHOULD BE MAKING SURE IRAN DOES NOT ACHIEVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON?
02:42:55CALLER: WELL NOW WE HAVE TO
02:42:58WORRY ABOUT THE OIL.
02:43:08[INDISCERNIBLE]
02:43:13THEY HAD ALL THESE PEOPLE IN ONE
02:43:15AREA WHERE THEY TOOK THEM OUT AT THE SAME TIME.
02:43:22MIDNIGHT HAMMER. THEY KNOW THE KNOW-HOW.
02:43:24HOST: I THINK WE GOT YOUR POINT.
02:43:28TOM NICHOLS ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
02:43:30GUEST: YEAH, I WILL SAY THAT I
02:43:35HAVE BEEN A HAWK ON COUNTER PROLIFERATION FOR MOST OF MY CAREER.
02:43:42I THINK IF IRAN HAD BEEN SPRINTING TOWARD A NUCLEAR
02:43:46WEAPON I WOULD HAVE BEEN WRITING
02:43:47AN ARTICLE BUT SAYING WE DON'T
02:43:52HAVE A CHOICE. THE PROBLEM IS THEY WEREN'T AND
02:43:56THE IRAN DEAL, OBAMA'S ENRON
02:43:59DEAL WHICH I HAVE REAL DOUBTS
02:44:01ABOUT, AT THE TIME I THOUGHT
02:44:08PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD FRONTLOADED
02:44:10TOO MUCH OF THE DEAL, BUT THE
02:44:14FACT OF THE MATTER IS IT WAS WORKING.
02:44:18IRAN WAS NOT CLOSE TO A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
02:44:22THEY HAVE HAD ALL THE PIECES OF A NUCLEAR WEAPON LYING AROUND
02:44:25SAYING WE ARE NOT DOING THIS.
02:44:29BUT WE ARE SMART AND WE COULD.
02:44:32THEY PLAYED THAT GAME TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.
02:44:35WHEN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
02:44:39DUMPED OUT OF THAT DEAL THEY
02:44:40SAID, FINE, WE DON'T HAVE TO
02:44:51FOLLOW THESE LIMITS.
02:45:06WHAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
02:45:07HAS DONE IS CONVINCE IRAN THAT I NEEDED A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
02:45:22AS FOR MIDNIGHT HAMMER, THEY
02:45:26HAVE BEEN EXPECTING AN ATTACK ON THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES AND
02:45:28THEY HAVE GAMED THIS OUT. THEY PREPARED FOR THIS FOR
02:45:32YEARS.
02:45:35THEY DIDN'T MAKE THE MISTAKE THE
02:45:37IRAQI STATE IN 1981 WHERE THE IRAQI NUCLEAR PROGRAM WAS
02:45:41SITTING IN A BIG, FLAT OPEN PLACE WITH A BULL'S-EYE ON TOP OF IT.
02:45:47THEY LEARNED FROM THAT.
02:45:50OTHER NUCLEAR PROLIFERATORS
02:45:51LEARNED FROM THAT EXPERIENCE AND THEY DISPERSED THEIR PROGRAMS,
02:45:55BURIED IT, PUT IT INSIDE
02:45:59MOUNTAINS AND THERE IS ONLY SO
02:46:01MUCH YOU CAN DO WITH BOMBING
02:46:05BEFORE THEY CAN RECONSTITUTE THOSE PROGRAMS.
02:46:13NOW THAT ACTUALLY HAVE TO GET A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
02:46:15HOST: JOHN, YOU ARE ON WITH TOM
02:46:20NICHOLS. THANKS FOR WAITING.
02:46:23CALLER: GOOD MORNING, TOM.
02:46:26GUEST: GOOD MORNING. CALLER: I GUESS I HAD A TWO-PART
02:46:31QUESTION THAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO EXPAND ON.
02:46:38OF COURSE AS YOU WELL KNOW IN
02:46:44OUR ARSENAL WE ALSO HAVE
02:46:45TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
02:46:53DOES TRUMP'S NATIONAL SECURITY
02:46:55TEAM AND HIS PENTAGON TEAM, DO
02:47:03THEY CONSIDER POSSIBILITIES
02:47:07WHERE OUR COUNTRY MIGHT NEED TO
02:47:09EMPLOY TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS
02:47:13OR DO YOU THINK THAT IS JUST TOO
02:47:15SLIPPERY A SLOPE FOR US?
02:47:20ARE OUR TACTICAL WEAPONS REALLY
02:47:22MORE INTENDED FOR OTHER NUCLEAR
02:47:26POWERS LIKE NORTH KOREA, CHINA, AND RUSSIA?
02:47:29HOST: LET ME TAKE THE QUESTION, JOHN.
02:47:33GUEST: SURE, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
02:47:37FIRST, I DON'T THINK TACTICAL
02:47:42NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN ANY OF THE SCENARIOS.
02:47:45I WROTE A BOOK ABOUT NUCLEAR
02:47:48STRATEGY ABOUT IF YOU ARE GOING
02:47:53TO TRY TO TAKE OUT THE IRANIAN
02:47:54NUCLEAR PROGRAM WITH TACTICAL
02:47:58NUCLEAR WEAPONS, HOW WOULD YOU DO IT?
02:48:02THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE YOU WOULD
02:48:04DO TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES.
02:48:08THESE ARE CROWDED NEIGHBORHOODS.
02:48:12THE KOREAN PENINSULA SITS ILLINOIS DENSELY POPULATED
02:48:15PLACE, IRAN IS IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACES
02:48:18IN THE WORLD AND THEY JUST DON'T
02:48:21THINK IT BUYS YOU ANYTHING TO THINK ABOUT USING TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
02:48:27THE REASON WE DEVELOPED TACTICAL
02:48:29NUKES BACK IN THE DAY IS IT IS A COLD WAR HANGOVER AND WE HAVE A
02:48:33COUPLE HUNDRED LEFT SCATTERED
02:48:36AROUND VARIOUS PLACES BUT I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAD
02:48:39THEM AT ALL YOU HAD DO
02:48:43UNDERSTAND WE WERE TRYING TO
02:48:44EXPLAIN TO THE SOVIET UNION WE
02:48:48WERE VASTLY OUTNUMBERED IN THOSE
02:48:50DAYS AND IF YOU ROLL INTO EUROPE
02:48:54THE PRESIDENT HAS MORE OPTIONS
02:48:57THAN SIMPLY VAPORIZING MOSCOW. WE ARE GOING TO CREATE THIS
02:49:01LATTER OF ESCALATION WHERE WE WILL FIGHT WITH CONVENTIONAL
02:49:05WEAPONS AND THE SMALL, TACTICAL
02:49:08NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND IF YOU
02:49:10RESPOND WE WILL GO TO THE NEXT
02:49:13LEVEL AND USE THEATER LEVEL NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND STRIKE
02:49:17TARGETS ACROSS THE REAR END HEADQUARTERS UNTIL FINALLY THE
02:49:20WHOLE THING GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO A GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR
02:49:24EXCHANGE WHICH IS WHY WE CONSIDER THAT A DETERRENT.
02:49:29THAT SITUATION DOESN'T REALLY EXIST ANYMORE.
02:49:34I WILL ADMIT TO A BIAS I WAS
02:49:36DEBATING SOMEONE.
02:49:44IT WAS AN IN ATTRIBUTION DEBATE
02:49:48SO I WAS DEBATING WITH SOMEONE WHO DISAGREED WITH ME AND HE HAD
02:49:50A GREAT LINE, HE SAID, TOM IS A
02:49:55IF YOU USE ONE, YOU WILL USE THEM ALL KIND OF GUY.
02:50:00I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY
02:50:02WITH ONE OR FIVE OR 10 TACTICAL
02:50:04NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS AND THEN IT STOPS.
02:50:09I THINK THE AMOUNT OF CHAOS AND
02:50:13ANXIETY ABOUT MORE STRIKES
02:50:16COMING. IT IS SO DANGEROUS.
02:50:20IF YOU USE THOSE WEAPONS, YOU
02:50:23WILL START USING OTHER WEAPONS AND YOU WILL STUMBLE INTO A
02:50:28MAJOR NUCLEAR EXCHANGE.
02:50:31ONE THING I WORRY ABOUT WITH
02:50:33EVERY ADMINISTRATION IS THINKING THEY HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER
02:50:37EVENTS WHEN IT COMES TO NUCLEAR
02:50:40WEAPONS, THAT THEY CAN BE VERY PRECISE IN THEIR USE OF NUCLEAR
02:50:44WEAPONS AND KIND OF CONTROL OUTCOMES AND I THINK CONSIDERING
02:50:48THAT A NUCLEAR WEAPON HAS NOT
02:50:50BEEN EXPLODED IN ANGER SINCE
02:50:521945, WE OUGHT TO HAVE A LITTLE
02:50:54MORE HUMILITY ABOUT THAT AND A
02:50:56LOT MORE CONCERN ABOUT THE FACT
02:51:02THAT EXPLODING A NUCLEAR WEAPON AND KILLING PEOPLE WITH ONE IN
02:51:05THE 21ST CENTURY WOULD BE A
02:51:09STAGGERINGLY STUPID AND DANGEROUS THING.
02:51:10HOST: WAS THE BOOK ON NUCLEAR
02:51:14WEAPONS "NO USE"?
02:51:17GUEST: THAT'S THE ONE.
02:51:19HOST: YOUR MORE RECENT BOOK IS
02:51:23"THE DEATH OF EXPERTISE." WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT? GUEST: THAT WAS THE SECOND
02:51:26ADDITION OF A BOOK WHERE I WAS
02:51:30TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE PHENOMENON OF PEOPLE NOT JUST REJECTING
02:51:35EXPERTISE, WHICH IS SOMETHING PEOPLE TEND TO DO, A DOCTOR
02:51:39GIVES YOU BAD NEWS, I WANT TO TALK TO ANOTHER DOCTOR.
02:51:43A CONTRACTOR GIVES YOU AN ESTIMATE, I WANT TO TALK TO
02:51:47ANOTHER CONTRACTOR. THAT'S FINE. I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE
02:51:51PHENOMENON IS WHERE PEOPLE WALK IN AND TELL THEIR DOCTORS,
02:51:55HERE'S WHAT I HAVEN'T HERE'S WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO.
02:52:01THIS PHENOMENON THE PEOPLE THINK THEY KNOW BETTER THAN DOCTORS OR
02:52:03LAWYERS OR ENGINEERS, EVEN PEOPLE IN THE TRADES.
02:52:10ONE OF THE ELECTRICIAN SAID WE
02:52:11GET THIS ALL THE TIME, WHAT YOU PUTTING IN THERE?
02:52:18I'M A MASTER ELECTRICIAN COME I'M PUTTING IN WIRING.
02:52:23AND PEOPLE JUST NEED TO FEEL EMPOWERED. WHAT I CAME TO CONCLUDE IN THAT
02:52:27BOOK IS THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF NARCISSISM ON THE LOOSE IN OUR
02:52:31SOCIETY OVER THE PAST 40, 50
02:52:34YEARS AND PEOPLE REALLY BELIEVE THEY ARE MORE COMPETENT THAN THEY ARE AND THEY WANT TO FEEL
02:52:38MORE EMPOWERED AND VERY COMPLEX
02:52:43WORLD SO THEY WALK UP TO DIPLOMATS AND SAY, LET ME TELL
02:52:47YOU ABOUT ARMS-CONTROL, WHICH IS
02:52:49A WEIRD KIND OF THING TO DO AND
02:52:53WHEN SOMEONE FINALLY DECIDED TO LECTURE ME ABOUT RUSSIA WHICH IS
02:52:55WHERE I BEGAN MY CAREER, I WAS A
02:52:57RUSSIAN SPEAKING, SOVIETOLOGIST
02:53:02BACK IN THE DAY. THEY SAID, LET ME EXPLAIN RUSSIA TO YOU.
02:53:07I SAID, THIS FEELS STRANGE. I'M GOING TO WRITE SOMETHING.
02:53:12UNEXPECTEDLY ON MY HAND IT TURNED INTO A BOOK BECAUSE AN
02:53:16EDITOR SET I SHOULD DEVELOP IT.
02:53:17HOST: ARE YOU WRITING SOMETHING NOW?
02:53:20IS THERE ANOTHER BOOK COMING OUT?
02:53:21GUEST: NO, I DID DO A BOOK
02:53:25CALLED "OUR OWN WORST ENEMY"
02:53:27WHERE I WAS TRYING TO COMPLAIN THE COLLAPSE OF DEMOCRACY,
02:53:32GLOBAL DEMOCRACY, FROM WITHIN.
02:53:34PARTLY THIS NARCISSISTIC, VERY
02:53:37PARTICULAR APPROACH TO POLITICS THAT SAYS, I'M INTERESTED IN
02:53:42POLITICS ONLY BECAUSE OF WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME.
02:53:48AND PEOPLE LINKING TO THIS SAYING I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND
02:53:51THESE ISSUES, BUT I'M GOING TO BE ANGRY ABOUT THEM ANYWAY.
02:53:58SO THAT WAS THE LAST BOOK I WROTE.
02:54:01THESE DAYS I'M DOING SO MUCH AT THE ATLANTIC, I WISH I HAD TIME
02:54:05TO WRITE A BOOK, BUT KEEPING UP TO THE NEWS EVEN THIS MORNING IS A CHALLENGE.
02:54:09HOST: WHAT IS YOUR COLUMN GOING TO BE ABOUT THIS WEEK?
02:54:12GUEST: I CAN TELL YOU IN ABOUT 24 HOURS.
02:54:16[LAUGHTER] NOT QUITE SURE.
02:54:21WE WILL SEE WHERE THIS LATEST THREAT AGAINST IRAN GOES.
02:54:26BUT IT IS HARD TO SAY BECAUSE THINGS MOVE SO FAST.
02:54:30I THINK THAT IS PART OF THE CHALLENGE FOR EVERYBODY IS THERE
02:54:34IS NO SUCH THING AS A SLOW NEWS WEEKEND.
02:54:37THIS USED TO BE THE TIME WHEN NOTHING HAPPENED.
02:54:41AND YET HERE WE ARE BEING FIRE HOSED BY EVENTS.
02:54:45HOST: THE ATLANTIC.COM IS WHERE
02:54:50WE CAN FIND OUT. ABOUT FOUR MINUTES LEFT OF
02:54:55QUESTIONS WITH OUR VIEWERS, THIS
02:54:57IS STEPHANIE OUT OF NEW JERSEY.
02:55:07CALLER: PEOPLE SEEM TO FORGET
02:55:12THAT DONALD TRUMP PRAISED
02:55:13VLADIMIR PUTIN AND AS FAR AS
02:55:21IRAN IS CONCERNED, WE WILL NEVER
02:55:30KNOW HOW CLOSE WE WERE.
02:55:36I'M SO SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING
02:55:40PEOPLE THEY CAN'T HAVE A NUCLEAR
02:55:43WEAPON, WELL HERE WE ARE, THEY
02:55:50WEREN'T GOING TO HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
02:55:53I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
02:56:03THE BUNKER.
02:56:10IT WAS REPORTED THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA SECRETLY HAVE ONE BUILT.
02:56:16NOBODY SEEMED TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
02:56:20HOST: WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CONSTRUCTION OF THE WHITE HOUSE?
02:56:24GUEST: I WILL SAY THIS.
02:56:27I THINK DONALD TRUMP WANTED A BIG BALLROOM.
02:56:31HE WANTED IT FOR HIS OWN PURPOSES AND WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE
02:56:35CONGRESS AND THE COURTS MIGHT
02:56:38STEP IN TO STOP IT HE INVOKED NATIONAL SECURITY.
02:56:41I THINK THE IDEA THAT THIS IS
02:56:42REBUILDING A BUNKER, AT LEAST FOR HIM WAS AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
02:56:48HE WANTED IT DONE BECAUSE HE WANTED IT DONE.
02:56:52TO GO BACK TO IRAN, I THINK IT WAS THE SAME THING ABOUT IRAN.
02:56:57THIS WAS A WAR FOR GLORY.
02:57:03I THINK THAT HE DECIDED JUST TO
02:57:04DO IT AND THEN KIND OF BACKFILL
02:57:07ALL THE REASONS FOR IT LATER.
02:57:11HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO KNOCK OFF THAT REGIME AND HE COULD
02:57:15EXPLAIN ALL THE REASONS HE HAD TO DO IT.
02:57:20THE WHITE HOUSE CONSTRUCTION IS THE SAME THING, I WANT TO
02:57:24BALLROOM, CONGRESS DOESN'T WANT
02:57:26TO PAY FOR IT, COSTS ARE ESCALATING, THE COURTS MIGHT STEP IN.
02:57:31ONE THING EVERY PRESIDENT CAN DO TO SHUT OFF CRITICS IS TO SAY NATIONAL SECURITY.
02:57:38DONALD TRUMP HAS DONE THAT MANY TIMES.
02:57:40I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT THIS WHERE ANYTIME HE WANTS TO GET A POLICY
02:57:43THROUGH HE SAYS, MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY.
02:57:48HE HAS DONE IT WITH TARIFFS.
02:57:52IT IS A MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY. THE COURTS IMMEDIATELY GET A LOT
02:57:57OF -- GIVE A LOT OF DEFERENCE TO
02:58:00PRESIDENTS WHO CLAIM NATIONAL SECURITY.
02:58:02HOST: FOR MUCH MORE FROM TOM
02:58:04NICHOLS, IT IS THEATLNATIC --THE
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