WE’RE NOW GOING TO SWAP ORDERS
HERE AND HOPEFULLY MY NEXT
GUEST, REPUBLICAN SENATOR KEVIN
CRAMER OF NORTH DAKOTA, IS
READY.
SENATOR CRAMER, AS YOU CAN SEE
THERE, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF
ISSUE.
FIRST, LET ME MAKE SURE YOU CAN
HEAR ME OKAY.
SENATOR, WELCOME TO "MEET THE
PRESS."
>> IT’S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
I CAN HEAR YOU FINE, AND I HOPE
YOU CAN HEAR ME.
>> I CAN HEAR YOU JUST FINE.
LET ME START WITH SORT OF A FORM
OF THE SAME ISSUE HERE BUT I
WILL USE SENATOR TATPAT TOOMEY,
YOUR REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUE FROM
PENNSYLVANIA, HERE’S WHAT HE
SAID LAST NIGHT AFTER THE
DECISION CAME DOWN TO THROW OUT
THE LAWSUIT IN PENNSYLVANIA.
WITH TODAY’S DECISION BY JUDGE
MATTHEW BRANN, A LONGTIME
CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN, WHO I
KNOW TO BE A FAIR AND UNBIASED
JURIS, TO DISMISS THE LAWSUIT,
PRESIDENT TRUMP EXHAUSTED ALL
LEGAL OPTIONS TO CHALLENGE THE
RESULT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE
IN PENNSYLVANIA.
I CONGRATULATE PRESIDENT-ELECT
PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN AND VICE
PRESIDENT-ELECT HARRIS ON THEIR
VICTORY.
DO YOU CONCUR THAT IT IS NOW
OVER?
>> CHUCK, THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU.
AND NO, I DO NOT.
I THINK IT’S VERY LIKELY.
THAT SAID, I DON’T KNOW WHY
WE’RE SO EASILY OFFENDED BY A
PRESIDENT THAT’S CARRYING OUT
ALL OF HIS LEGAL OPTIONS IN
COURSE, NOT ENHANCING OR
ENCOURAGING ANY RIOTS OR
BURNINGS OF BUILDINGS OR BEATING
UP OF DEMOCRATS COMING OUT OF
THE DEMOCRATIC MEANS OR EVENTS.
IT’S JUST A SIMPLE LEGAL PROCESS
AND REALLY THERE’S NOT BEEN A
LOT OF EVIDENTIARY HEARINGS THAT
HAVE EVOLVED THE TRUMP CASE.
THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER HEARINGS,
I NOTICED YOU USED A NUMBER THAT
WAS RATHER LARGE OF CASES
DISMISSED.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT ACTUAL
EVIDENCE, THERE HAVE NOT BEEN
MANY, IF ANY.
MAYBE PENNSYLVANIA WAS THE FIRST
ONE.
I THINK EVERYBODY OUGHT TO CALM
DOWN.
I DON’T THINK THIS IS AN ATTACK
ON OUR DEMOCRACY.
WE SPENT FOUR YEARS LISTENING TO
NEW SHOWS AND LIBERALS TRYING TO
DISCREDIT THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION TO THE POINT OF
SPYING ON HIM BY THE LAST ADMINISTRATION, $40 MILLION
ADMINISTRATION, $40 MILLION
SPENT ON A INDEPENDENT COUNCIL
THAT ARDED
STARTED WITH NO EVIDENCE AND
ENDED WITH NO EVIDENCE AND THEN
THE CRAZY IMPEACHMENT.
SO EVERYONE JUST RELAX AND LET
IT PLAY OUT IN A LEGAL WAY.
WE’LL BE JUST FINE.
>> YOU’VE IMPLIED THERE’S NO
DAMAGE BEING DONE JUST NOW IN
THOSE COMMENTS.
>> OH, THERE WAS A LOT OF DAMAGE
DONE IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU, THE
SPECTACLE OF RUDY GIULIANI ON
THURSDAY, USING THE HEADQUARTERS
OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, I MEAN,
AT ONE POINT ONE OF THE LAWYERS
ACCUSED A DEAD DICTATOR OF
SOMEHOW BEING A PART OF THIS.
ARE YOU REALLY SAYING THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS -- YOU’RE OUT THERE
SAYING THE PRESIDENT IS NOT
ENCOURAGING SOMEHOW ANY WAY OF
SORT OF BEING DISORDERLY ABOUT
THIS, HOW IS THAT NOT
ENCOURAGING DISRUPTION AND
DISORDERLY -- HE’S ACCUSING THE
ENTIRE SYSTEM OF BEING CORRUPT.
IS THAT NOT UNDERMINING THE
DEMOCRACY?
>> FIRST OF ALL, WHAT THEY’RE
CLAIMING IS THERE’S A LOT OF
EVIDENCE AND THEY’RE PRESENTING
THAT EVIDENCE IN CASES.
NOW, IT’S UP TO THEM TO PRESENT
THAT EVIDENCE, CHUCK, OBVIOUSLY.
WE HAVE YET TO SEE A REAL
HEARING WHERE EVIDENCE IS
PRESENTED AND THEY’RE NOT
OBLIGATED TO PRESENT IT
YESTERDAY OR TOMORROW, ALTHOUGH
THE SOONER THE BETTER FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE.
I’M SPEAKING STRICTLY FROM THIS
ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY, AS YOU CALL
IT.
THESE ARE LEGAL SYSTEMS.
THESE ARE PROCESSES IN OUR
CONSTITUTION, IN OUR LAWS AND
THEY’RE NOT JUST APPROPRIATE BUT
THEY’RE REALLY AN OBLIGATION,
FRANKLY, TO THE MILLIONS OF
AMERICANS THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
IS A REFLECTION OF.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE TO
THINK WE’RE THE REFLECTION OF
HIM.
HE’S THE REFLECTION OF MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SEE HIM
FIGHT THIS TO THE END.
NOW THERE HAS TO BE AN END,
CHUCK, I AGREE.
THERE HAS TO BE AN END.
I FRANKLY DO THINK IT’S TIME --
WELL, IT WAS PAST TIME TO START
A TRANSITION TO COOPERATE WITH
THE TRANSITION.
I WOULD RATHER HAVE A PRESIDENT
THAT HAS MORE THAN ONE DAY TO
PREPARE SHOULD JOE BIDEN END UP
WINNING THIS.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, AGAIN, HE’S
JUST EXERCISING HIS LEGAL
OPTIONS.
>> IT I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM,
YOU BELIEVE THE HEAD OF GSA
TOMORROW MORNING AT THIS POINT
OUGHT TO SAY THE TRANSITION
NEEDS TO BEGIN, IT LOOKS LIKE
JOE BIDEN WILL BE THE APPARENT
WINNER.
YES, THERE’S MORE TO GO THROUGH.
THIS IS WHAT THE HEAD OF GSA
SAID.
YES, THERE’S STILL MORE TO GO
THROUGH BUT IT LOOKS LIKE JOE
BIDEN IS THE APPARENT WINNER.
LET’S ALLOW THE TRANSITION
PROCESS TO BEGIN.
SHOULD THAT BE WHAT HAPPENS
TOMORROW MORNING?
>> YEAH, IT SHOULD HAPPEN
TOMORROW MORNING BECAUSE IT
DIDN’T HAPPEN LAST MONDAY
MORNING.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO BEGIN THAT
PROCESS, GIVE THE INCOMING
ADMINISTRATION ALL THE TIME YOU
NEED.
I WILL ALSO SAY THIS, I THINK
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS BEEN A
BIT OVERDRAMATIC AS IT RELATES
TO OPERATION WARPED SPEED AND
DISTRIBUTION OF THE VACCINES AND
THINGS.
NONE OF THOSE THINGS ARE A
SECRET.
THE MILITARY IS IN CHARGE OF
OPERATION WARPED SPEED.
THE MILITARY STILL WILL BE THERE
AFTER THE ELECTION.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER
THINGS.
AND I INFORMED MY STAFF WELL
OVER A WEEK AGO THEY HAD TO
COOPERATE WITH ANY TRANSITION
OUTREACH BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE
PREPARED.
WE HAVE A GOVERNMENT TO RUN,
REGARDLESS OF WHO THE PRESIDENT
IS.
>> DOES IT CONCERN YOU THAT SO
MANY -- AND I’M CURIOUS WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR OWN
CONSTITUENTS THAT SAY TO YOU, I
KNOW THIS WAS STOLEN.
I JUST DON’T BELIEVE IT.
WHAT IS IT GONNA TAKE TO TELL
THOSE FOLKS, YOUR CONSTITUENTS
IN NORTH DAKOTA, LOOK, I KNOW
YOU DON’T LIKE THE RESULTS BUT
IT WAS FAIR AND SQUARE?
>> THAT’S A GREAT POINT.
THAT’S WHERE LEADERSHIP DOES
REALLY HAVE TO STP IN ANDSTEP IN
BE ATTENTIVE TO THEM AND USE
YOUR CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE.
I THINK WHAT IT’S GOING TO TAKE,
CHUCK, IS FOR ALL OF THE LEGAL
AVENUES TO BE EXHAUSTED.
AT SOME POINT WE START PREPARING
FOR ANOTHER ELECTION.
YOUR MONOLOGUE ILLUSTRATED A
COUPLE OF TIMES IN OUR HISTORY
WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN
CHALLENGES.
THE GOOD NEWS IS OUR REPUBLIC IS
VERY RESILIENT.
>> YOU DO REALIZE THAT IN THIS
CENTURY, THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR
CLOSER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
2000, 2004, 2012, 2016.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, POPULAR VOTE
WIN HERE BY BIDEN IS EVEN LARGER
THAN BARACK OBAMA WAS OVER MITT
ROMNEY.
AT ONE POINT DOES THIS
UNDERMINE -- YOU HEARD GOVERNOR
LARRY HOGAN.
THIS IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE
MEDIA.
THIS IS A REPUBLICAN.
WHO THINKS THIS IS UNDERMINING
THE LOOK OF AMERICA TO THE
WORLD.
>> YES, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE
WOULD LIKE A NICE, TIDY,
HISTORICALICALLY TRADITIONAL
SORT OF ELECTION BUT WE DON’T
HAVE A TRADITIONAL PRESIDENT.
HE DIDN’T GET THERE IN A
TRADITIONAL WAY.
I NEVER SEIZED BEING AMAZED AT
PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO YOU
SURPRISED WHEN HE DOESN’T BEHAVE
THE WAY PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS
BEHAVED.
BUT I GO BACK JUST LAST YEAR,
HILLARY CLINTON REFERRED TO HIM
AS AN I ILLEGITIMATE PRESIDENT.
WE WENT THROUGH FOUR YEARS
TRYING TO DELEGITIMIZE HIM.
HAVING THIS PROCESS IS FINE.
WHO KNOWS, WE ALSO NEVER IN THIS
HISTORY OR ANY OTHER CENTURY,
HAD A MASSIVE VOTE-BY-MAIL
BALLOTING WHERE THERE WERE
THINGS LIKE BALLOT HARVESTING,
BALLOT CURING, THINGS WE NEVER
HEARD OF TAKING PLACE.
AND FRANKLY, MUCH,ING MUCH MUCH
REJECTION RATE OF BALLOTS THAN
JUST FOUR YEARS AGO.
SO IT’S OKAY TO GO THROUGH THIS
PROCESS.
MAKE SURE IT’S BEING DONE RIGHT.
MAKE SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN
IF THERE ARE IRREGULARITIES.
WE CAN’T IGNORE HUNDREDS OF
SIGNED ACHDS.
THAT’S WAY MORE EVIDENCE THAN
ROBERT MUELLER HAD.
>> SO FAR IT’S NOT THE CASE
BECAUSE THE EVIDENCE, THEY HAVE
NOT PRESENTED IT IN COURT
BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE IT, IT
APPEARS.
WE’LL SEE.
AS YOU SAID, IF THEY HAVE THE
EVIDENCE, THEY SHOULD PRESENT
IT.
THEY HAVE YET TO PRESENT IT IN A
COURTROOM BECAUSE YOU CAN’T LIE
TO A JUDGE.
>> I DON’T KNOW IF THAT’S THE
REASON, CHUCK.
>> WE DON’T KNOW BUT THEY