Read Transcript EXPAND
FEW PEOPLE ARE AS WELL PLACED TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT MOMENT AND THE MOMENTUM GOING INTO THIS SUMMER'S CONVENTION THAN VETERAN DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST SIMON ROSENBERG AND MARC LOTTER, WHO SERVED AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP AND WAS DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR HIS 2020 CAMPAIGN.
GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.
YOU WERE IN ATLANTA, YOU ARE IN ATLANTA WHERE THE CNN DEWAIT WAS HELD.
YOU WERE IN THE ROOMS WATCHING TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO US AFTERWARDS.
SO FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, MARC LOTTER, HOW DID YOUR CANDIDATE DO?
>> I THOUGHT DONALD TRUMP DID GREAT.
HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT MATTER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND OFFERING A VISION TO FIX THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN LARGELY CAUSED BY JOE BIDEN.
I THINK HE SHOWED STRENGTH, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS SOUGHT IN THEIR PRESIDENTS.
CONTRASTED TO JOE BIDEN WHO REALLY STRUGGLED AND SHOWED A LOT OF WEAKNESS.
>> SO, SIMON ROSENBERG, YOU KNOW BECAUSE YOU'RE THERE THE REPUBLICANS ARE VERY, VERY HAPPY WITH THE WAY THEIR CANDIDATE DID.
HOW ABOUT THE DEMOCRATS?
AND YOU ARE NOT JUST AN ADVISOR, YOU'RE A KEY STRATEGIST.
>> YEAH, LISTEN, I THINK JOE BIDEN HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD PRESIDENT WHO HAD A VERY BAD NIGHT LAST NIGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, HOW CONSEQUENTIAL THIS WILL BE DURING THE COURSE OF THIS LONG CAMPAIGN WE'LL FIND OUT.
BUT I THINK THE OTHER THING WE SAW LAST NIGHT IN ADDITION TO JOE BIDEN BEING ABLE TO MAKE THE CASE FOR HIS PRESIDENCY, WHICH HE STRUGGLED WITH A LITTLE BIT NO QUESTION, IS WE ALSO SAW IN DONALD TRUMP A PERSON WHO'S A BAD MAN, WHO'S A TERRIBLE CANDIDATE AND WOULD BE A DISASTROUS PRESIDENT FOR THE UNITED STATES.
THE LEVEL OF LYING AND FALSEHOODS WE HEARD LAST NIGHT FROM HIM WAS SHOCKING EVEN FROM SOMEONE IN THE BUSINESS WHO'S BEEN FOLLOWING TRUMP.
VIRTUALLY NOTHING HE SAID WAS TRUE LAST NIGHT, AND SO I DON'T THINK IT WAS A GREAT DEBATE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
I DON'T THINK THEY LEARNED VERY MUCH THAT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP THEM MAKE THIS DECISION, AS YOUR OWN POLLING SHOWED.
BUT I DO THINK THIS WAS A BETTER NIGHT FOR TRUMP THAN BIDEN, AND IT MEANS WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO IN THE COMING MONTHS.
>> SO LET ME ASK YOU, MARC LOTTER, BECAUSE EVERYBODY WHO WAS WATCHING AND PEOPLE WHO TAKE NOTES AND WHO FACT CHECK BASICALLY KNOW THERE WAS THIS AS I SAID FIRE HOSE OF FALSEHOODS.
THIS IS CNN'S PARTICULAR FACT CHECKER.
>> SO, DANIEL, WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU?
>> WHAT STOOD OUT WAS THE STAGGERING NUMBER OF FALSE CLAIMS FROM FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP.
ON FIRST COUNT, ERIN, I COUNTED AT LEAST 30 -- 30 FALSE CLAIMS.
>> I GUESS THE QUESTION, MARC LOTTER, IS DOES IT ACTUALLY MATTER TO YOUR SIDE AND TO YOUR CANDIDATE WHEN HE CONSISTENTLY MAKES THESE FALSE CLAIMS?
AND IN THIS OBVIOUSLY THE POINT WAS NOT TO FACT CHECK IN REALTIME.
>> ULTIMATELY, I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AREN'T FOLLOWING THE GAFFS OR THE MISSTATEMENTS BY EITHER CANDIDATE.
THEY WANT SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO DEAL WITH INFLATION, DEAL WITH GAS AND GROCERY PRICES, SECURE THE SOUTHERN BORDER, AND DEAL WITH THE WARS THAT ARE RAGING IN EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST ALL ON THE WATCH OF JOE BIDEN.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER BACK TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, THEY REMEMBER WE HAD A STRONG ECONOMY, NO INFLATION, A SECURED BORDER, AND ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THEY FACE RIGHT NOW FALL AT THE FEET OF JOE BIDEN.
SO I THINK SO MANY OF THE VOTERS OUT THERE LOOK AT THESE KINDS OF DEBATES THROUGH THAT PRISM.
AND IF A CANDIDATE ON EITHER SIDE MAKES A MISSTATEMENT LIKE JOE BIDEN SAYING NO TROOPS DIED ON HIS WATCH DESPITE THE FACT THAT 13 AMERICANS WERE KILLED IN HIS BOTCHED AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL, THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO WASH A LITTLE BIT OF THAT UNDER THE RUG FOR BOTH SIDES BECAUSE THEY'RE UNSCRIPTED, WITHOUT A TELEPROMPTER RECALLING ALL OF THIS.
BOTTOM LINE, WHO'S GOING TO MAKE MY LIFE BETTER AND THE WORLD SAFER?
>> OBVIOUSLY OPTICS AND PERCEPTION ARE A HUGE POINT OF THIS, BUT I DO WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE ECONOMY, BOTH OF YOU BECAUSE THAT IS CLEARLY TOP OF MIND NOT JUST FOR VOTERS IN THE UNITED STATES.
BREAD AND BUTTER ISSUES, COST OF LIVING, BUT ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SO DONALD TRUMP AS YOU SAID, MARC, MADE STRONG CLAIMS.
BUT, LISTEN, 16 NOBEL PRIZE WINNING ECONOMISTS HAVE WARNED THAT A SECOND TRUMP TERM WOULD REIGNITE INFLATION.
THEY SAY JOE BIDEN'S ECONOMIC AGENDA IS VASTLY SUPERIOR TO DONALD TRUMP'S.
ALSO, AS YOU KNOW, MARC, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE BEEN READING THESE, HE, DONALD TRUMP, HAD A MEETING WITH EXECUTIVES JUST IN THE LAST FEW DAYS.
AND THEY SAID REMARKABLY MEANDERING, COULDN'T KEEP A STRAIGHT THOUGHT, AND WAS ALL OVER THE MAP.
IT'S ALSO BEEN POINTED OUT BY JEFFREY AT YALE NOT A SINGLE PERSON AMONG FOESRBES 100 CEOs HAVE DONATED TO HIS CAMPAIGN.
>> THEY REDICTED HE WAS GOING TO RUIN THE ECONOMY IN 2016, 2017.
I PUT THEIR VALUE AS I DO WITH THE 50 INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS THAT LIED TO COVER THE HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY.
LOOK, PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE TRUMP ECONOMIC POLICIES WORKED.
THEY ACTUALLY LOWERED PEOPLE'S TAXES, REAL, HARDWORKING MIDDLE CLASS AMERICANS SAW THEIR TAXES GO DOWN.
THEY SAW THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GO UP.
WE SAW JOBS COMING BACK.
OBVIOUSLY WE WERE RECOVERING WHEN THE PANDEMIC -- FROM THE PANDEMIC AS THE ELECTION TOOK PLACE, AND WE HAD NO INFLATION.
1.4% WHEN JOE BIDEN TOOK OFFICE.
GAS WAS A LITTLE OVER $2 A GALLON.
THOSE ARE ALL REALITIES THAT THEY CAN'T CHANGE.
AND I GET IT, YOU GET A BUNCH OF LIBERAL IVY TOWER ELITES WHO WANT JOE BIDEN TO BE PRESIDENT AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T BUYING IT.
>> YEAH, LOOK, I THINK YOU AND I BOTH KNOW MOST CEOs ARE NOT LIBERAL.
THEY MIGHT BE ELITE, BUT MANY OF MANY OF THEM HAVE BACKED FORMER AMERICAN PRESIDENTS.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE HAS RECEIVED SO LITTLE BACKING FROM THEM.
BUT I WANT TO PUT THAT QUESTION TO YOU AS WELL, SIMON.
TRULY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, REALLY SUFFERING, COST OF LIVING, INFLATION, ALL THE REST OF IT.
BIDEN SAID, YEAH, THE ECONOMY WAS GREAT FOR RICH PEOPLE DURING TRUMP.
HE LOWERED RICH PEOPLE AND CORPORATE TAXES.
BUT WHAT ABOUT HIS OWN RECORD?
HE DIDN'T, IN FACT, DEFEND HIS OWN ECONOMIC RECORD AT ALL.
>> YEAH, I MEAN FIRST OF ALL DONALD TRUMP'S ECONOMIC RECORD IS AMONG THE WORST IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
I MEAN HE WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT TO HAVE JOB LOSS ON HIS WATCH SINCE HERBERT HOOVER.
AND THIS IDEA THAT HE WAS THIS -- THE ECONOMY PERFORMED STELLAR UNDER HIM WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE FALSEHOOD AND LIE.
THE SECOND THING IS THAT THE ECONOMY UNDER JOE BIDEN WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH ONE OF THE GREATEST PERIODS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN AMERICAN HISTORY RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE HAD GDP GROWTH OVER 3%.
AS YOU KNOW IT'S BEEN FAR HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER G7 COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
INFLATION LAST MONTH WAS ZERO.
INFLATION DID NOT RISE, AND TODAY'S PCE NUMBER IS NOW DOWN TO BASICALLY WHERE THE FED WANTS IT TO BE, MAKING INTEREST RATES FAR MORE LIKELY TO BE CUT LATER THIS YEAR.
JOE BIDEN HAS HAD A STELLAR TRACK RECORD ON THE ECONOMY, AND THE QUESTION YOU ASKED IS GOING FORWARD THEIR PROPOSALS.
WE HAVE A BOOMING ECONOMY NOW.
"THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" LITERALLY HAD A STORY A FEW DAYS AGO ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN ECONOMIST THE AMERICAN ECONOMY IS THE ENVY OF THE WORLD TODAY.
WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS PROPOSING WOULD RAISE -- DRAMATICALLY SPIKE INFLATION, WOULD CRIPPLE THE ECONOMY, CREATE MASSIVE WORK SHORTAGES IN THE UNITED STATES, AND CREATE FAR LARGER DEFICITS.
I MEAN IT IS -- ONE OF THE REASONS THAT CEOs ARE STAYING AWAY FROM HIM IS BECAUSE THEY VIEW HIS ECONOMIC PLANS AS BEING DANGEROUS AND RECKLESS AT A TIME WHEN AMERICA IS BOOMING AND WE'RE BREAKING RECORDS IN THE STOCK MARKET.
>> I WANT TO PLAY SIMON AND INDEED, MARC, A VIDEO AND SOUND OF PRESIDENT BIDEN AFTER THE DEBATE, AFTER HE GOT OFF THE STAGE.
LOOKED TO ME LIKE A DIFFERENT GUY.
>> I CAN'T THINK OF ONE THING HE SAID THAT WAS TRUE.
NO, I'M NOT BEING FACETIOUS.
BUT, LOOK, WE'RE GOING TO BEAT THIS GUY.
WE NEED TO BEAT THIS GUY.
AND I NEED YOU IN ORDER TO BEAT HIM.
YOU'RE THE PEOPLE I'M RUNNING FOR.
WE'RE THE FINEST NATION IN THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD.
NOBODY'S CLOSE.
LET'S KEEP GOING.
SEE YOU AT THE NEXT ONE.
>> I GUESS BOTH OF YOU MIGHT THINK IF THAT PERSON HAD TURNED UP ON THE STAGE IT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC.
BUT, SIMON, WHERE WAS THAT PERSON?
>> LISTEN, JOE BIDEN HAD A BAD NIGHT.
I MEAN, THERE'S JUST NO WAY TO GET AROUND THAT.
AS I SAID EARLIER I THINK HE'S BEEN A VERY GOOD PRESIDENT, AND HE'S GOT A STRONG CASE FOR HIS RE-ELECTION.
HE WASN'T EFFECTIVE LAST NIGHT IN MAKING THAT CASE, BUT IT'S JUST ONE MOMENT IN A LONG CAMPAIGN, AND WE'VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO HERE.
WE'RE IN THE VERY BEGINNING.
OUR ELECTIONS ARE LONG HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
WE'RE IN THE VERY BEGINNING STAGES.
THIS IN MANY WAYS IS REALLY THE BEGINNING OF THE GENERAL ELECTION, BUT WE'VE GOT TWO CONVENTIONS COMING UP.
WE'VE GOT LOTS OF OTHER -- WE'VE GOT A MAJOR MOMENT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WITH DONALD TRUMP'S SENTENCING, WHERE HE COULD BE SENTENCED TO PRISON IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT OF OTHER MOMENTS.
BUT WE ARE CLEARLY COMING OUT OF THIS KNOWING OUR JOB GOT A LITTLE BIT HARDER AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO AHEAD OF US.
>> MARC, BY CONTRAST THEN, DO YOU THINK YOUR JOB GOT A LITTLE BIT EASIER EVEN THOUGH YOUR CANDIDATE DOES, IN FACT, HAVE CHALLENGES AHEAD?
>> WELL, WE WENT INTO THIS WITH THE WIND AT OUR BACK TO BEGIN WITH.
THERE WERE TWO POLLS THIS WEEK FROM "THE NEW YORK TIMES," QUINNIPIAC AND SIENA THAT BOTH SHOWED JOE BIDEN WINNING HEAD TO HEAD NATIONALLY BY 2 PERCENTAGE POINTS.
AT NO POINT IN 2020 DID DONALD TRUMP EVER LEAD JOE BIDEN EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC LAST TIME AROUND, SO IT SHOWS WHAT A CHALLENGE THEY HAVE.
YOU ALSO HAVE DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGNING FRIDAY IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
HASN'T BEEN REPUBLICAN IN 20 YEARS.
MINNESOTA IS NOW IN PLAY, SO THE SWING STATE MAP IS GROWING IN DONALD TRUMP'S FAVOR.
THE POLLS ARE ALL SHIFTING IN DONALD TRUMP'S FAVOR.
WE AND DONALD TRUMP HAVE TO JUST KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT MATTER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
JOE BIDEN LAST NIGHT MADE HIS JOB EVEN MORE DIFFICULT, AND IT WAS ALREADY A MOUNT EVEREST SIZED HILL TO CLIMB.
>> SIMON, I SEE YOU, YOU KNOW, SHAKING YOUR HEAD, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT COLUMNISTS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM, THOMAS FREEDMAN, FOR INSTANCE, JOE BIDEN IS A GOOD MAN, A GOOD PRESIDENT.
HE MUST BOW OUT OF THE RACE.
>> YEAH, I DO WANT TO SAY THIS IDEA THAT THE POLLS ARE SHIFTING TOWARDS TRUMP IS NOT TRUE.
I MEAN, THERE HAVE BEEN DOZENS OF POLLS TAKEN, AND THE MAJORITY OF POLLS HAVE THE RACE SHIFTING 2 TO 4 POINTS TO BIDEN OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
AND THIS IDEA THAT VIRGINIA AND MINNESOTA ARE GOING TO BE IN PLAY ARE JUST ABSURD.
IT'S A PSYCHOLOGICAL GAME THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN IS PLAYING.
THESE ARE NOT GOING TO BE COMPETITIVE STATES IN THE ELECTION.
THE ELECTION IS VERY CLOSE AND COMPETITIVE TODAY.
WE'LL SEE IF THIS DEBATE HAS AN IMPACT, BUT NEITHER CANDIDATE IS AT -- IS LEADING IN STATES GETTING TO 270.
IT'S A TOSS UP RACE TODAY.
BUT I THINK THIS DEBATE IS GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT.
WE'LL SEE WHAT IT DOES.
WE'LL KNOW SOON.
LISTEN, THERE'S GOING TO BE A DEBATE.
THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE -- THE QUESTION THAT WHETHER, YOU KNOW, JOE BIDEN SHOULD STEP DOWN IS GOING TO BE DEBATED NOW.
I MEAN WE'RE PAST THAT POINT GIVEN WHAT'S HAPPENED.
I THINK, MY VIEW IS HE'S OUR NOMINEE AND I'M GOING TO FIGHT LIKE HELL EVERY DAY TO MAKE SURE HE GETS ELECTED BECAUSE FOR WHATEVER HIS CHALLENGES ARE HE'S GOING TO BE A FAR BETTER PRESIDENT THAN DONALD TRUMP.
AND SO WAVE GOT TO STAY TOQUE SED AS DEMOCRATS, PUT OUR HEAD DOWN, AND DO THE WORK.
IT MAY GET A LITTLE HARDER BUT I STILL THINK WE'RE GOING TO WIN THIS ELECTION.
>> MARC, DONALD TRUMP'S PERFORMANCE WAS STRONG AS WE SAID.
HOWEVER, GIVEN WHAT'S GOING ON, WHY IS IT THAT YOU THINK, FOR INSTANCE, MIKE PENCE, ONE OF YOUR FORMER BOSSES SHOULD SAY IT'S COME AS NO SURPRISE THAT I WILL NOT BE ENDORSING DONALD TRUMP THIS YEAR.
DEFENSE SECRETARY MARK ESPER, JAMES MATTIS, CHIEF OF STAFF JOHN KELLY, ALL HIGHLY PLACED TRUMP ADMINISTRATION VETERANS ARE NOT BACKING HIM.
THEY DENOUNCE HIM AS UNFIT TO SERVE.
YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD MIKE PENCE NOT ENDORSE HIM IF HE WAS SO FIT TO RUN?
WHY WOULD ALL THESE PEOPLE NOT ENDORSE HIM AFTER BEING IN THE ROOM WITH HIM FOR FOUR YEARS?
>> WELL, I THINK ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE INCLUDING A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I ADMIRE AND STILL CONTINUE TO CONSIDER FRIENDS MISREAD WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016, MISREAD WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING TOLD WHO THEY HAVE TO VOTE FOR BY NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON, D.C. ELITES.
WE'VE SEEN IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
THEY WANT SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO FIGHT FOR THEM FOR THE ISSUES.
AND YEAH, DONALD TRUMP SAYS THINGS IN A DIFFERENT STYLE THAN PEOPLE ARE USED TO, BUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING TO IT BECAUSE THEY WANT A FIGHTER.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE DONALD TRUMP BASICALLY STEAM ROLLING THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION OVER ALL OF THOSE MORE EXPERIENCED AND BASICALLY CAREER POLITICIANS.
THAT'S WHY YOU STILL SEE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE WILLING TO FIGHT FOR HIM.
AND RIGHT NOW THAT'S WHY YOU SEE HIM WINNING BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE HURTING, THEY'RE STRUGGLING.
THEY WANT SOMEONE TO DEAL WITH IT, AND THEY KNOW THAT DONALD TRUMP IS THE GUY TO DO IT, NOT THE GUY WHO GOT US INTO THIS PROBLEM IN JOE BIDEN.
IT'S HIS FAULT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
>> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT AN ISSUE AND TALKING ABOUT HURTING AND STRUGGLING.
MANY, MANY MILLIONS OF WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE SEEN THEIR FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS OVERTURNED BY THEMOTOR, AND DONALD TRUMP HE BRAGS ABOUT IT.
HE SAYS, LOOK, I PUT IN THESE THREE FINE CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES, AND THEY OVERTURNED ROE v. WADE, AND THERE'S A BIG DILEMMA FOR SO MANY, MANY WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES OVER THIS.
I WANT TO PLAY THE ABORTION EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE TWO CANDIDATES DURING THE DEBATE.
>> A DOCTOR SHOULD BE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS.
THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE RUN.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, AND IF I'M ELECTED I'M GOING TO RESTORE ROE v. WADE.
>> SO THAT MEANS HE CAN TAKE THE LIFE OF THE BABY IN THE NINTH MONTH AND EVEN AFTER BIRTH -- BECAUSE SOME STATES DEMOCRAT RUN TAKE IT AFTER BIRTH.
AGAIN, FORMER GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA PUT THE BABY DOWN, THEN WE DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
SO HE'S WILLING TO, AS WE SAY, RIP THE BABY OUT OF THE WOMB IN THE NINTH MONTH AND KILL THE BABY.
>> MARC, BECAUSE THAT IS SUCH OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE A FACT CHECK HERE.
ABORTIONS AFTER 21 WEEKS ARE UNCOMMON AND REPRESENT 1% OF ALL ABORTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE IDEA OF KILLING BABIES AFTER BIRTH IS -- IS JUST SO OFFENSIVE.
NONETHELESS, THERE IS A MAJOR ABORTION CONUNDRUM IN THE UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW, AND IN THE MID-TERMS YOU COULD SEE THAT DEMOCRATS OR WOMEN VOTED ON THIS CASE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THIS UPCOMING ELECTION ON THIS ISSUE?
>> WELL, I THINK THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS NO MATTER WHO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS, IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE THIS ISSUE BECAUSE CONGRESS IS NEVER GOING TO PASS ANYTHING.
DEMOCRATS CAN'T GET THEIR 40 WEEKS TAXPAYER FUNDED ABORTION ON DEMAND BILL PASSED.
THEY TRIED, THEY FAILED.
REPUBLICANS CAN'T GET ANY KIND OF COMMON SENSE REASONABLE LIMITATIONS ON ABORTION BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE 60 VOTES IN THE SENATE.
AND WHAT ROE v. WADE, THE OVERTURNING OF ROE v. WADE DID WAS IT RESTORED DEMOCRACY BECAUSE NOW THE PEOPLE'S ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ARE THE ONES WHO GET TO WEIGH IN ON THIS MATTER.
AND IF IT'S STATE BY STATE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW -- WE'RE SEEING SOME STATES THAT MAY GO TOO FAR TO THE RIGHT.
ABORTION TOURISM IS NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS, AND THAT'S TOO FAR TO THE LEFT.
AND WHAT WE WILL SEE IS THE STATES COME TOGETHER IN A GENERAL CONSENSUS.
BUT I DO WANT TO CLARIFY ONE THING.
DONALD TRUMP WAS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR, HE WOULD NOT SIGN A NATIONAL ABORTION BAN, AND HE SUPPORTS EXCEPTIONS FOR RAPE, INCEST, AND THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER.
>> SO, SIMON, AGAIN, 40-WEEK ABORTION I MEAN IT'S ALL SO INCREDIBLY OFFENSIVE THAT WE'LL JUST PUT THAT TO THE SIDE.
BUT WHY -- OR DO YOU THINK BIDEN SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN?
AND WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN -- AND, YOU KNOW, WILL IT PLAY FOR HIM, DO YOU THINK, IN THIS ELECTION?
>> THAT WAS ACTUALLY A STRONG PART OF THE DEBATE FOR JOE BIDEN LAST NIGHT, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS JUST CLEAR -- WHAT'S TRUE BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT DONALD TRUMP SAID ABOUT THIS LAST NIGHT WAS NOT TRUE.
AND HE SOUNDED IN THIS SECTION IN PARTICULAR LIKE A RAVING LUNATIC, FRANKLY.
IS THAT HE -- WHAT IS TRUE IS THAT DONALD TRUMP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR STRIPPING THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS AWAY FROM TENS OF MILLIONS OF WOMEN IN AMERICA WHO NOW HAVE LESS RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS THAN WOMEN DO IN PLACES LIKE MEXICO AND BRAZIL AND PLACES ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AND WHAT IT'S DOING IS THAT IT'S PUTTING THE LIFE OF PREGNANT MOTHERS IN JEOPARDY IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY THING THAT HAS ALTERED AMERICAN POLITICS.
I MEAN SINCE DOBBS HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO WHEN ROE WAS ENDED BY THE SUPREME COURT, DEMOCRATS HAVE CONTINUALLY OVERHPERFORMED IN ELECTION AFTER ELECTION.
NOT JUST IN 2022 BUT IN 2023 AND 2024, AND REPUBLICANS HAVE STRUGGLED.
AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE THIS ISSUE IS A MARKER OF EXTREMISM FOR THE REPUBLICANS, AND DONALD TRUMP IS TRYING TO PRESENT HIS NEW STATES RIGHTS POSITION AS SOMETHING THAT'S MODERATE OR CONSENSUAL, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY A REINFORCEMENT OF HIS FUNDAMENTAL EXTREMISM.
I MEAN IF HE'S OKAY WITH STATES LIKE IDAHO THAT HAVE NO EXCEPTIONS, JAIL TIME FOR DOCTORS AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, PENALTIES FOR PARENTS WHO BRING THEIR MINORS ACROSS BORDERS, IF HE'S OKAY WITH IDAHO ANYWHERE, THEN HE'S OKAY WITH IT EVERYWHERE.
AND WHAT DONALD TRUMP HAS DONE IS CONFIRMED IN RECENT MONTHS THAT HE IS THE MOST DANGEROUS ABORTION EXTREMIST IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND SO I DO THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY MATERIAL ISSUE IN THE ELECTION.
AND VIRTUALLY EVERY ELECTION THAT HAS BEEN CONTESTED SINCE DOBBS HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO, REPUBLICANS HAVE UNDERPERFORMED, WE'VE OVERPERFORMED.
I STILL THINK THAT'S THE LIKELY OUTCOME IN THIS ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
>> ALL RIGHT, THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO DISCUSS.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME RIGHT NOW, BUT WE WILL KEEP COMING BACK TO YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SIMON ROSENBERG FOR BIDEN, AND MARC LOTTER FOR TRUMP, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
>> THANKS, CHRISTIANE.
>> THANK YOU.
About This Episode EXPAND
Veteran Democratic party strategist Simon Rosenberg and former special assistant to President Trump Marc Lotter on last night’s debate. Correspondent Fred Pleitgenand New York Times reporter Farnaz Fassihi on the Iran elections. Francis S. Barry on his new book “Back Roads and Better Angels.”
LEARN MORE