- IN TONIGHT'S CLOSER LOOK,
UNPACKING THE POLITICS OF THE
STATE OF THE UNION AND LOOKING
AHEAD WITH CAPITOL CONSULTANTS
MANAGING PARTNER STRATEGIST BILL
McCOSHEN, AND I WANT TO ASK YOU
BOTH WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE
RELEASING THE REPUBLICAN FIZA
MEMO.
- TURNED IT BACK TO CONGRESS,
AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RELEASED BY
THE TIME THIS AIRS.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING.
AMERICAN PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW
EITHER IF THE FIX WAS IN TO HELP
HILLARY CLINTON OR HURT DONALD
TRUMP.
NEITHER IS RIGHT AND I THINK
THEY OUGHT TO RELEASE THE
DEMOCRATIC MEMO, TOO.
THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW, HAVE
CONFIDENCE IN THE TOP COPS AT
JUSTICE AND F.B.I., I'M NOT SURE
THEY DO.
- WHAT ABOUT THE FACT THE
F.B.I. AND JUSTICE ARE SAYING
PLEASE DON'T DO THAT.
- OF COURSE THEY ARE.
IT'S GOING TO EXPOSE A LOT OF
THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN
DOING POTENTIALLY WRONG.
- THIS IS NONSENSE.
THIS IS ABOUT COVERING DONALD
TRUMP'S KEESTER, AND PAUL RYAN
IS NOT ONLY, HE IS AIDING AND
ABETTING THE TRASHING OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
EVERY PERSON INVOLVED IN THIS IS
A REPUBLICAN.
DONALD TRUMP GOT CAUGHT, HE IS
AFRAID OF GETTING EXPOSED AS
COLLUDING WITH THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT TO GET HIS ELECTION
AND NOW THEY ARE DOING A SMOKE
AND MIRROR, MUDDY THE WATERS
THING, WHAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE
REALLY GOOD AT.
- YOU DON'T FEEL IT'S
POLITICIZING THE WHOLE
INVESTIGATION?
- I THINK THE WHOLE
INVESTIGATION IS POLITICAL.
SO, WHY NOT PUT THE FACTS OUT
THERE FOR THE PUBLIC TO JUDGE
ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
PUT THE REPUBLICAN MEMO OUT, AND
FOLLOW THE SAME PROCESS AND THE
DEMOCRATIC MEMO OUT.
LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE.
- YOU ARE STEAMING HOT.
- THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
FOUR PAGES OF GARBAGE WRITTEN BY
DEVON NUNOZ.
- YOU HAD TO HAVE TOP SECRET TO
SEE IT TODAY.
- HE WAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND
GETTING HIS DIRECTION AND SECRET
MEETINGS AND TAKING THE TOP LAW
ENFORCEMENT IS IN THE TANK FOR
HILLARY CLINTON, MY GOD, JAMES
COMEY.
MY GOD, PEOPLE SAY JAMES COMEY
AND WHAT THE F.B.I. DID IN TERMS
OF THE ELECTION ARE WHY DONALD
TRUMP IS IN THE WHITE HOUSE NOW.
- YOUR VIEWERS ARE SMART
ENOUGH, JUDGE FOR THEMSELVES.
- SOMETHING THE PRESIDENT SAID
DURING THE STATE OF THE UNION.
SEEMED TO BE PUTTING PEOPLE WHO
MIGHT CROSS HIM ON NOTICE.
LET'S LISTEN.
- SO TONIGHT I CALL ON CONGRESS
TO EMPOWER EVERY CABINET
SECRETARY WITH THE AUTHORITY TO
REWARD GOOD WORKERS AND TO
REMOVE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WHO
UNDERMINE THE PUBLIC TRUST OR
FAIL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
- SO, WHO IS HE TALKING ABOUT
THERE?
- I DON'T KNOW.
I DIDN'T -- I CAN'T SEE THE
VIDEO, BUT I'M WONDERING IF WHEN
HE STARTED TALKING ABOUT
RESPECT, PAUL RYAN MAY HAVE
BACKED UP JUST A BIT IN CASE A
LIGHTNING BOLT STRUCK.
YOU KNOW, WHAT THE SPEECH WAS IS
OUR AMERICAN CARNAGE, THE
SEQUEL, YOU KNOW, M.S.13.
THIS IS A RIDICULOUS SPEECH OF
RACISM, NONTRUTH TELLING AND
BASICALLY LAYING OUT THE
DIVISION THAT EXISTS IN AMERICA
FOR ALL TO SEE AND HE CONTINUES
TO JUST PLAY TO 35 OF THE
ELECTORATE.
- HE'S A BUSINESSMAN, THE FIRST
TRUE BUSINESSMAN TO BE PRESIDENT
IN SEVERAL DECADES AND THIS IS
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE PRIVATE
SECTOR.
IF YOU MESS UP, YOU ARE OUT.
THAT'S WHAT HE'S SPEAKING TO,
AND MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ARE
WITH HIM ON THAT.
- SOUNDED KIND OF MENACING, HE
MAY BE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE IN
THE F.B.I. OR THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OR -- WE DON'T KNOW.
- WE NEVER REALLY KNOW WITH
DONALD TRUMP.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE'LL KNOW IN A
TWEET DOWN THE ROAD, BUT I THINK
PROCESS-WISE, WHAT HE'S SPEAKING
TO, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE WITH
HIM.
- HE HAS SOME SORT OF
EXPERIENCE IN BUSINESS BUT HE'S
NOT A BUSINESSMAN.
HE'S A BRAND MANAGER.
- HE CAN MANAGE MY BRAND.
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
- HE BRANDS HIMSELF IN TERMS OF
THIS 35.
- YOU FEEL LIKE HE GETS A BUMP
OUT OF THIS SPEECH?
- HE DID.
HIS POLL NUMBERS ARE ALREADY UP.
SOMETHING OUT TODAY,
FAVORABILITY IS UP TO 49,
HIGHEST SINCE JUNE OF 2017.
SO HE ABSOLUTELY GOT A BUMP.
TWO DIFFERENT NATIONAL POLLS,
ONE BY CBS, ONE BY PLITICO, SAID
70 THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD.
SMART POLITICS.
NO QUESTION HE GOT A BUMP OUT OF
THIS.
- YOU ARE NOT GOING TO TALK
ABOUT A BUMP.
- IF THERE IS A BUMP, IT'S NOT
LONG LASTING.
IT'S PEOPLE ASKED ARE YOU OK
WITH THE SPEECH FINALLY OVER.
- IT MAY ALAY SOME OF THE
CONCERN ON THE PART OF
REPUBLICANS FOR MID TERMS?
- NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
NOW, LET'S JUST SAY THE MAP
FAVORS REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE
ANYWAY, TEN SENATORS UP THIS
YEAR IN STATES THAT TRUMP WON,
SIX BY DOUBLE DIGITS.
SO, THE MAP FAVORS REPUBLICANS
TO KEEP THE SENATE.
AS IT RELATES TO THE CONGRESS,
THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
THE PRESIDENT'S APPROVAL RATING
AND THEIR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN
THAT HOUSE.
- THE POLITICS -- THE MAP MAY
FAVOR THE REPUBLICANS BUT THE
POLITICS FAVORS THE DEMOCRATS.
- NO WAY, THAT CHANGED.
- 12 HOUSE SEATS OPEN,
DEMOCRATS ARE TARGETING AND
OUTFUNDRAISING THE REPUBLICANS 3
TO 1 IN THE SEATS.
- REPUBLICANS HAVE RAISED MORE
MONEY THAN EVER BEFORE, EVER
BEFORE.
THEY WILL BE WELL FUNDED IN THE
RACES.
PENDULUM HAS SWUNG ON POLICY,
THE TAX CUT IS HUGE SO FAR, AND
PEOPLE JUST SAW THE FIRST SIGNS
OF THAT IN THE PAYCHECK AND SEE
IT THROUGHOUT 2018, BENEFITS
REPUBLICANS.
- CLEARLY WITH THE REPUBLICANS
AND SENATOR ADAM JARCHOW, 100.
SCOTT WALKER, TRYING TO PAY OFF
VOTERS WITH $100 CHECK BEFORE
THE ELECTION AND 1994 CAMPAIGN
TO STAY WITH THE PAL TOMMY
THOMPSON.
- I RAN THAT CAMPAIGN.
- I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN
A MINUTE, BUT FIRST WHAT THE
PRESIDENT SAID ABOUT
INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING.
GO AHEAD AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT
SOUND BITE AS WELL.
- TONIGHT I'M CALLING ON
CONGRESS TO PRODUCE A BILL THAT
GENERATES AT LEAST $1.5 TRILLION
FOR THE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENT THAT OUR COUNTRY SO
DESPERATELY NEEDS.
- NOW, THE THING ABOUT THIS,
THOUGH, IS THAT THE STATES HAVE
TO SPEND MONEY TO GET MONEY, AND
NOW I KNOW THAT GOVERNOR WALKER
IS TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY
BEING OK WITH A GAS TAX SO THAT
WE COULD GET SOME OF THIS
FEDERAL MONEY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE
SPENDING?
WHAT ABOUT THAT?
- HIS FIRST EFFORT ON THIS,
TRUMP'S WAS NOT ONE SINGLE PENNY
TO SPENT ON ASPHALT TO PAVE A
ROAD IN THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
THIS IS SMOKE AND MIRRORS.
AND SCOTT WALKER HAS MADE AN
ELECTION YEAR CONVERSION, WE
WILL FIND OUT THAT WATER IS WET.
- I THINK THE POLICY IS GOOD,
WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR ROADS,
BRIDGE, HARBORS AND AIRPORTS, NO
QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THE POLITICS OF TRICKY.
I'M NOT SURE HE CAN GET
ADDITIONAL SPENDING THROUGH
CONGRESS AFTER THE TAX INCREASE.
AND SCOTT'S POINT, STATES HAVE
TO SPEND UP TO 70 IN MATCH
MONEY AND WISCONSIN IS NOT WELL
POSITIONED TO GET THAT.
- TALK ABOUT AS YOU WERE A
MOMENT AGO TOMMY THOMPSON AND
GOVERNOR WALKER FLYING AROUND
THE STATE TOUTING THIS WELFARE
REFORM.
THOUGHTS?
- IT WORKED FOR TOMMY THOMPSON.
HELPED HIM WIN IN 1986 AND
CONTINUED TO BE POPULAR, TO THE
POINT BILL CLINTON SIGNED THE
FEDERAL WELFARE REFORM TEN YEARS
LATER.
- IT'S BACK, BUT ATTACKING
PEOPLE, THE REPUBLICANS WENT ALL
IN ON ATTACKING PATTY SHOCKNER,
HAVING PEOPLE URINATE IN CUPS TO
GET THE PUBLIC BENEFITS AND WON
BY TEN POINTS IN A SEAT NOT HELD
BY DEMOCRATS SINCE 1996.
AND SCOTT WALKER IS TALKING
ABOUT DIVIDING PEOPLE, THE DOG
WHISTLE, A REAL PROBLEM THERE
THIS TIME AROUND.
- THANKS VERY MUCH.
BILL ROSS, McCOSHEN --