10.22.2020

RNC Spokesperson Liz Harrington on the Election

With Biden leading comfortably in polls, it seems the biggest obstacle President Trump faces is justifying his handling of the pandemic. At this 11th hour, can Trump turn it all around? Christiane speaks with the RNC’s national spokesperson about how the GOP hopes to win over the voters in the final days of the race.

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CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Let me first ask you what you hope will be the result of this final debate?

LIZ HARRINGTON, SPOKESWOMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: I think we’re going to see two completely different directions for the country. You couldn’t get a bigger contrast in this election. Certainly, when it comes to the records of 47 years of failure with Joe Biden versus less than four years of success and history making achievements under President Trump. This was supposed to be the foreign policy debate. We wish it would come up more because President Trump has really succeeded on that. And now. we know just how corrupt Joe Biden was when he was supposed to be selling — getting good deals for the American worker with China or Ukraine or Russia, and it seems the only good deals were people involving the Biden family, Biden Inc. and China Inc. And so, these are big issues. This election, do we want to continue with peace and prosperity under President Trump who built the greatest economy on record in 2019 which we’ll even surpass that in 2021? Do we want to continue draining the swamp or do we want to fill it back up with career corrupt politicians who have never achieved anything for the American worker like Joe Biden? And I think that’s a big choice for Americans and I think I know what they’re going to do.

AMANPOUR: The choice is obviously very clear. You talk about draining the swamp. Speaking of, as you know “The New York Times” has reported that President Trump has a — had a bank account in China. And this is quite unusual, certainly. And certainly, Former President Barack Obama brought it up last night. Just take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: He’s got a secret Chinese bank account. How is that possible? How is that possible? A secret Chinese bank account. Listen, can you imagine if I had a secret Chinese bank account when I was running for re-election? You think Fox News might have been a little concerned about that? They would have called me Beijing Barry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Liz, he has a point, doesn’t he? And let’s just be clear, “The Times” is reporting the account is controlled by Trump International Hotels Management. Tax records show it paid $188,000 plus taxes in China while pursuing licensing deals there from 2013 to 2015. Now, the campaign and the White House says it’s a dormant account. But that doesn’t look great, does it?

HARRINGTON: Well, that has nothing to do with the swamp. You said 2013 to 2015. Where was Donald J. Trump? He was in Manhattan, he was building a business empire, he was living the American dream in the private sector. Where is “The New York Times” reporting on Joe Biden’s dealings, big — 10 held for H. Hunter for the big guy which we now have confirmed the big guy, according to Hunter Biden’s former business associate is Joe Biden. We’re talking tens of millions of dollars with associates of the Chinese communist party.

About This Episode EXPAND

Christiane speaks with Nigerian rapper Falz about the protests against state violence there. She also speaks with Republican National Committee spokesperson Liz Harrington about the final days of the presidential race. Hari Sreenivasan speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar about his new novel. Jazz singer Melody Gardot speaks about creativity during a pandemic.

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