FOR YOUR EXPERTISE. >> THANK YOU.
>> AND THEN THERE WERE TWO CANDIDATES LEFT TO GO UP AGAINST
DONALD TRUMP IN THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY, AS NIKKI
HALEY AND RON DeSANTIS DEBATED THIS WEEK AND TRUMP HELD HIS OWN
TOWN HALL. FOR SOME 2024 ELECTION SEASON
PREDICTIONS, WE TURN TO OUR POLITICAL PANEL, REPUBLICAN BILL
McCOSHEN AND DEMOCRAT SCOTT ROSS. THANK YOU FOR BEING WI
TH US, BOTH.
>> GREAT TO BE HERE. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> BILL, I'M GOING TO START WITH YOU AND ASK ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.
HE CONTINUES TO DOMINATE. WHAT IS THAT ALLURE ON THE PART
OF DONALD TRUMP EVEN AS HE FACES SO MANY CRIMINAL CHARGES?
>> HONESTLY, I THINK THE CRIMINAL CHARGES HAVE HELPED HIM
WITH HIS OWN BASE OVER THE COURSE OF 2023, HE GOT STRONGER,
NOT WEAKER. 12 MONTHS AGO, RON DeSANTIS
WAS WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF THEM AND TODAY, TRUMP IS UP BY
20 OR 30 POINTS, DEPENDING ON THE POLL YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR ON MONDAY NIGHT, FRED, IS
EXPECTATION. SO TRUMP IS UP O N THE DES MOINES
REGISTER POLL BY OVER 20 POINTS. HE RELEASED HIS OWN POLL THIS
WEEK THAT HAS HIM UP BY 30. I'M NOT SURE I WOULD HAVE DONE
THAT IF I WERE HIM BECAUSE IF HE COMES IN LESS THAN THAT, HE
DOESN'T MEET EXPECTATIONS. DESCENDADeSANTIS HAS TO WIN IOWO
EXCEED EXPECTATIONS. COMING IN A CLOSE SECOND IS
OKAY, BUT IT'S TOUGH TO FIGURE OUT THE CHESS BOARD FOR HIM WHAT
HIS NEXT MOVE IS AFTER THAT. FOR HAYLEY TO GET MOMENTUM, IF
SHE BEATS DeSANTIS AND TAKES SECOND, SHE MIGHT POTENTIALLY
WIN NEW HAMPSHIRE. >> SCOTT, WHAT DO YOU THINK
DONALD TRUMP'S ALLURE IS? >> HE IS UNSTOPPABLE WITHIN THE
REPUBLICANS. HE'S UP 50% OVER ALL THE
CHALLENGERS AND SO WHAT I THINK IS IT IS HE IS HOLDING THE PARTY
HOSTAGE. THEY HAVE READILY AC CEPTED THAT.
STOCKHOLM SYNDROME. THAT CAN WIN HIM A PRIMARY, BUT
IT AIN'T GOING TO WIN HIM IN NOVEMBER BECAUSE DEMOCRATS AND
INDEPENDENTS HAVE REJECTED HIM TIME AND TIME AGAIN,
PARTICULARLY IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATE OF WISCONSIN.
>> DO YOU THINK, BILL, THAT DONALD TRUMP WILL CARRY
WISCONSIN IN THE PRIMARY? >> IT'S HARD TO SAY.
HE DIDN'T WIN THE PRIMARY HERE IN' 16.
TED CRUZ DID. HE WON THE GENERAL BUT LOST HERE
IN 20. I DON'T KNOW THAT HE'S DONE
ENOUGH IN THE SUBURBAN AREAS TO BRING SUBURBAN WOMEN BACK TO HIS
COALITION. THERE'S WOK TO BE DONE.
PART OF THAT MIGHT BE WHO HE PICKS AS HIS RUNNING MATE IF
HE'S STILL THE NOMINEE. IF IT'S STILL A COMPETITIVE RACE
WHEN HE GETS TO WISCONSIN, MY MONEY WOULD BE ON HIS OPPONENT.
>> SCOTT, DO YOU FEEL THAT YOUNGER DEMS ARE DISENCHANTED
WITH JOE BIDEN? >> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THEY KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH TRUMP BEING IN CHARGE OF THE
GOVERNMENT. ABORTION RIGHTS ARE GONE.
THERE'S AN ATTACK OVER AND OVER AGAIN ON LGBTQ PEOPLE.
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS THE ONLY PRESIDENT WHO HAS TRIED TO
REALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT STUDENT LOAN DEBT.
THEY ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO
HEALTHCARE AS A RESULT OF JOE BIDEN.
SO, NO, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY SORT OF -- I DON'T THINK --
THE ALTERNATIVE IS SO FAR WORSE AND I THINK THAT STUDENTS ARE
SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT AND I THINK IN PARTICULAR WE'RE GOING
TO SEE THAT IN THE THIRD C.D. WHERE THEY'VE GOT SIX CAMPUSES,
A BUNCH OF TWO-YEAR CAMPUSES. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE
THING THAT TAKES NOT ONLY DERRICK VAN ORDEN DOWN, BUT ALSO
DONALD TRUMP. >> WHY DO YOU THINK, BILL, YOUNG
VOTERS STAND BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP AND JOE BIDEN?
>> I THINK THE WAR IN ISRAEL IS DIVIDING THEM.
RIGHT? YOU'VE GOT LAODICEA A LOT OF
PRO-PALESTINIAN VOTERS WHO WOULD SHOWING UP AT TAMMY BALDWIN
EVENTS, SHOWING UP AT OTHER EVENTS AND SHOWING UP AT JOE
BIDEN EVENTS. THAT'S GOING TO BE PROBLEMATIC
FOR HIM. I'M NOT SURE THERE WILL BE AS
MUCH ENERGY WITH YOUNG VOTERS IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR AS THERE
HAS BEEN IN AT LEAST LAST NOVEMBER'S ELECTION.
WE'LL SEE, BUT THEY'RE DISENFRANCHISED WITH WHERE THIS
ADMINISTRATION IS HEADING, WHICH COULD BE GOOD NEWS FOR
REPUBLICANS IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT MESSAGE TO ATTRACT THEM.
>> SCOTT, IS DEMOCRATIC SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN UNBEATABLE?
>> WOW. WELL, SHE HAS BEEN SO FAR,
THAT'S FOR SURE, AND THERE ISN'T A REAL CHALLENGER TO HER YET.
IT'S BECAUSE OF HER RECORD. IT'S HER RECORD OF
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, BIPARTISAN AGREEMENTS ON THINGS LIKE, YOU
KNOW, MANUFACTURING, BUY IN AMERICA. SHE IS A LEADER ON R
EPRODUCTIVE FREEDOMS, WHICH IS GOING TO BE
HUGE FOR HER IN A SENATE RACE, ESPECIALLY WHEN SHE'S PAIRED
AGAINST POSSIBLY THE MOST ANTICHOICE CANDIDATE THAT WE'LL
EVER SEE IF WE GOT HOVDE OR CLARK.
REPUBLICANS ARE IN DISARRAY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANYBODY
TO GO UP AGAINST A SITTING SENATOR. >> DO YOU THINK THAT
TAMMY BALDWIN IS FORMIDABLE, BILL?
>> NO QUESTION HE'S FORMIDABLE. SHE'S TOUGH.
ANYONE WHO THINKS OTHERWISE ON OUR SIDE ISN'T LOOKING AT HER
ELECTORAL HISTORY. SHE WORKS HARD, SHE DOES
PHENOMENAL ON CONSTITUENT SERVICES.
I THINK HE HAS TWO VULNERABILITIES. NUMBER ONE
IS JOE BIDEN AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET.
IS SHE RUN AHEAD OF JOE BIDEN IF SHE NEEDS TO?
MAYBE. RON JOHNSON RAN UP AHEAD OF
TRUMP IN 2016, BUT IT'S RARE FOR A U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE TO RUN
AHEAD OF TOP THEIR TICKET. SHE MAY NEED TO DO THAT IN ORDER
TO WIN. SECONDLY, I THINK THE BORDER IS
A REAL ISSUE FOR DEMOCRATS AT LARGE. IF THEY DON'T SOLVE TH
AT BETWEEN NOW AND OCTOBER, FOR EXAMPLE, I
THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A STRONG VULNERABILITY FOR HER.
>> WHAT ABOUT THAT ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION? >> I THINK THAT
IT IS A RED HERRING THAT'S DESIGNED TO
DIVIDE PEOPLE, WHITE PEOPLE AGAINST PEOPLE OF COLOR.
IT'S SOMETHING THE REPUBLICANS HAVE DONE FOR DECADES AND
DECADES. WHILE I DO AGREE WITH WHAT BILL
SAID, SENATOR BALDWIN HAS BEEN AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET BEFORE,
SHE WON BY 11 POINTS IN 2018 AND GOVERNOR EVERS HAD WON BY JUST
ONE POINT, SO I THINK SHE HAS AN ENTIRE POSSIBILITY OF BEING THE
LEAD OF THE TICKET. THE PROBLEM IS THAT -- THE THING
WE HAVE TO DO IS REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016.
HILLARY CLINTON'S CAMPAIGN GAVE UP IN WISCONSIN, THEY GAVE UP ON
MICHIGAN, THEY DID A HALF-HEARTED JOB IN
PENNSYLVANIA. THAT AIN'T EVE R GOING TO HAPPEN
AGAIN. DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO HAVE THE
RESOURCES AND I THINK IT WILL BE A GOOD DEMOCRATIC VICTORY IN
NOVEMBER. >> SO I WANT TO --
>> WELL, THE THING TO REMEMBER IS ONLY ONE INCUMBENT IN AMERICA
BOSSE IN 2020, THE GOVERNOR OF NEVADA. LEADING A STATEWIDE
INCUMBENT -- BEATING THEM IS VERY DIFFICULT,
REGARDLESS OF PARTY. >> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
RECALL EFFORT AGAINST ROBIN VOS LAUNCHED THIS WEEK FOR HIS
OPPOSITION OF DONALD TRUMP AND FAILING TO IMPEACH MEAGAN WOLFE.
WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT THE SCHISM IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
IN THIS STATE? >> I THINK IT'S A SMALL FACTION
IN THE 63rd ACCEPTABLE ASSEMBLYS DISTRICT WHO DISLIKED THE
SPEAKER FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. IT'S DESTRUCTIVE.
ANYONE WHO IS WATCHING THIS PROGRAM WHO LIVES IN THAT
DISTRICT SHOULD NOT SIGN THOSE RECALL PAPERS.
REPUBLICANS SHOULDN'T BE FIGHTING REPUBLICANS.
THEY SHOULD HAVE THEIR AIM FOCUSED AT DEMOCRATS.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE RUNNING ON NEW MAPS THIS FALL.
THERE'S A PRESIDENTIAL RACE. IT WILL BE COMPETITIVE
CONGRESSIONAL RACE. WE DON'T NEED TO BE WASTING
RESOURCES FIGHTING OUR OWN TEAM BEFORE THEN.
>> SCOTT, 30 SECONDS LEFT. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE VOS
RECALL EFFORT? >> I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY WOULD REJECT A THRICE MARRIED REAL ESTATE GUY
WHO IS IN COURT ALL THE TIME. SO IT'S SHOCKING TO ME.
IT'S TERRIBLE FOR DEMOCRACY. VOS HASN'T DONE ANYTHING THAT'S
RECALLABLE AND THE CHALLENGE WILL BE SWATTED AWAY LIKE BILL
SAYS. BUT, AGAIN, DIVISION ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE. >> ALL RIGHT.
WE LEAVE IT THERE. THANKS VERY MUCH, BILL